An angry businessman is threatening to sue Anglian Water over its pollution leak into the River Crouch.

Roy Hart, who owns a ski shop in Battlesbridge, has accused the water company and Government watchdog the Environment Agency of "playing down" the seriousness of the leak from the Shotgate sewage treatment works in Wickford on Monday.

At the time Anglian Water said it stopped the leak of partially treated sewage into the river within ten minutes of being notified but agency bosses confirmed today (Thursday) that the leak had actually lasted for four hours.

Mr Hart, 53, whose home at the Old Mill backs on the river, has sent samples of the contamination to an independent laboratory and had also kept the dead fish for examination.

An Anglian Water spokesman said: "There is no question of us playing it down. We take accidents like this extremely seriously. They are rare and we deeply regret what happened."

An agency spokeswoman said no decisions had been made on legal action.

Angry - Roy Hart with a dead swan and fish killed by the leak of sewage into the River Crouch

Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

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