PEOPLE have until the August Bank Holiday to join a group legal action over pollution in the River Wye, the largest environmental pollution claim of its kind in the UK.

The deadline of August 31 follows the claim’s first High Court hearing in April this year.

More than 4,800 people and local businesses have already signed up to join the claim, which argues that residents and businesses have been negatively impacted by river pollution caused by manure run-off from industrial poultry operations, as well as sewage pollution.

It is alleged that the poultry operations of Avara Foods Limited and its UK subsidiary Freemans of Newent have caused pollution in the rivers via chicken manure spread across the land, which then leeches into the rivers and causes pollution.

Justine Evans, who is the case’s lead claimant, told Channel 4 in a recent interview that the River Wye was very murky and had a lot of sediment and added: “But this has not always been the case. This river used to have clean water, and this resulted in all lots of plants thriving in the water and the pebbles being washed clean.

“But despite the River Wye being designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and located in an area of natural beauty, it has been downgraded to ‘unfavourable and declining’ in its quality.”

Ms Evans said recently: “The River Wye is a beautiful place that so many people get enjoyment from.

“However, my relationship with the river has completely changed in recent years, to the point I no longer feel comfortable going in it.

"It's for this reason I feel that the legal action is an important thing to be a part of, in order to do what we can as a community to put a stop to the pollution and help the rivers recover."