Swim firm folds blaming water quality in Thames

Henley Swim said the "relentless publicity" over pollution in the Thames had put swimmers off

An open water swimming event firm says it has been forced to close down after the "relentless publicity" over water quality in the River Thames led to a huge drop in numbers entering its swims.

Henley Swim has been running events on the River Thames for over 20 years, including the Henley Swim Festival and the Thames Marathon from Henley to Marlow.

The company said efforts to join forces with other event organisers to try and save the business had failed leaving "no option" other than to abandon this year's events and close down.

Thames Water said it was taking action to improve the health of rivers with more than 250 of its sites set for upgrades, including Henley Sewage Treatment Works.

In a statement announcing its closure, Henley Swim said: "The relentless publicity about the quality of the water in the Thames has put thousands of people off the idea of open water swimming which has led to an unprecedented drop in the number of registrations.

"We are very grateful for the fantastic support of loyal and enthusiastic swimmers, volunteers and suppliers and we are so sorry that after 20 years Henley Swim has been forced to close down due to circumstances beyond our control."

It added: "If appropriate you will hear from the administrator in due course."

Mark Lloyd, chief executive of The Rivers Trust, former official charity partner for the Henley Swim Festival, said they were "incredible sorry" to hear Henley Swim had stopped trading.

"Today we are thinking of those swimmers who have lost the opportunity to participate in iconic mass participation swimming events, as well as the dedicated organising team at Henley Swim who we have enjoyed working with," he said.

In a statement, Thames Water said: "We are committed to seeing waterways thrive, but we can't do it alone. Farming, industry, road runoff, wildlife and increasingly extreme weather also play a role in river health."

The statement added that the newly completed Tideway Tunnel would also reduce the volume of discharges entering the tidal Thames in a typical year by 95%."