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Campaigner threatened with prosecution by Environment Agency after waterway cleanup
environment

Campaigner threatened with prosecution by Environment Agency after waterway cleanup

The Guardian Environment · Jun 17, 2026, 8:00 AM

Key takeaways

  • A debris-strewn section of water on the River Roding where a cleanup was carried out by volunteers.
  • Prefer the Guardian on GoogleA river campaigner who organised a cleanup of his local waterway is being threatened with prosecution by the Environment Agency for acting illegally.
  • Paul Powlesland, a lawyer and environmental campaigner, organised a team of volunteers to tackle the removal of litter, weed and silt from a section of the River Roding, after repeatedly asking the agency to act.

Why this matters: environmental and climate reporting with long-term consequences.

A debris-strewn section of water on the River Roding where a cleanup was carried out by volunteers. Photograph: Paul Powlesland View image in fullscreen. A debris-strewn section of water on the River Roding where a cleanup was carried out by volunteers. Photograph: Paul Powlesland Rivers Campaigner threatened with prosecution by Environment Agency after waterway cleanup Paul Powlesland told he acted illegally after organising volunteers to remove litter, weed and silt from River Roding

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleA river campaigner who organised a cleanup of his local waterway is being threatened with prosecution by the Environment Agency for acting illegally.

Paul Powlesland, a lawyer and environmental campaigner, organised a team of volunteers to tackle the removal of litter, weed and silt from a section of the River Roding, after repeatedly asking the agency to act.

Article preview — originally published by The Guardian Environment. Full story at the source.
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