ROBERT Courts has again lent his support to an environmental group which champions protecting the River Windrush.

The row over sewage spillages continued over the festive period when Witney Town Council issued a warning after sewage spilled into streams following heavy rainfall in the lead up to Christmas.

The Christmas Eve statement confirmed there is sewage and fungus in the Colwell Brook and Emma's Dyke, discharged from nearby Thames Water sewage treatment works.

Ashley Smith from Windrush Against Sewage Pollution described the brook as 'depressingly awful' and a 'health hazard to people and animals'.

Read again: Witney Town Council issue sewage warning to public

He added: "We are calling for urgent action to stop a repeat of this ongoing abuse of our river and the risk to public health."

In a statement for this paper, Witney MP Mr Courts said: "I have been calling for some time for vastly better sewage treatment for our area, so that sewage is not discharged into our rivers or watercourses, whether after heavy rain or otherwise.

"From the evidence I have seen, Thames Water is going to have to do much more to invest in storage and treatment to ensure that the people of West Oxfordshire do not have the unacceptable worry of sewage in their watercourses.

"The Government has already acted on the the concerns I have raised.

"The Environment Bill, which is expected to return to Parliament early in the new year, introduced additional requirements for water company planning for future water supply and wastewater and drainage networks, enabling more resilient solutions to drought and flooding."

Witney Gazette:

The Environment Bill addresses a range of issues including plastic pollution, protecting the climate and improving air and water quality.

Mr Courts has previously raised the condition of the Windrush with former Environment Secretary Michael Gove in Parliament in October 2018

In a separate statement, a spokesperson for the Environment Agency (EA) said: "If any issues arise, we will work with Thames Water to take appropriate action."

The EA also comfirmed it has been working closely with Witney Town Council and is investigating an earlier incident at Witney in November.