Residents of one of England's prettiest and most historic villages have blasted Thames Water after raw sewage was dumped into their local river for months - causing a stench that has engulfed their homes.
It was nominated winner of the 'Best Kept Village' award in 2023 and locals had high hopes of defending their title this year. The village has been forced to pull out of the 'Best Kept Village' competition this year as a result of the smell. Pictured: Raw sewage in the River Misbourne 'I used to like taking the river path walk to Chalfont St Peter as it's very scenic but that's closed off too.
Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, has won England's 'Best Kept Village' contest six times since 2002 'We have recently been made aware that Thames Water have been releasing sewage into the River Misbourne since January 25, 2024, almost 3,500 hours of discharge. 'I'm recovering from an operation and to get my steps in I would walk to the pub from my house for a glass of wine or two.
Residents' civic pride has been flushed away exasperated locals have taken aim at Thames Water bosses. Pictured: One of the river paths which has been cut off for health and safety reasons 'I feel for people who live in the centre and those who live close to the water. It must be very unpleasant. A specialist team sent out by Thames Water - which serves Greater London and the Thames Valley - found that levels of contamination were high.
'There's a strong sense of community and civic pride here - there always has been - and that's why it's such a pity that we cannot defend our Best Kept Village crown this year.'