Teenage Kicks for campaigners as river pollution in Shropshire draws attention from 80s pop legend Feargal Sharkey

Shrewsbury-based Up Sewage Creek has held several protests against the dumping of raw sewage into the River Severn, and this week campaigners said they are considering withholding payments for their water bills over the issue.

Mr Sharkey, the former lead singer of The Undertones and famed for huge hits such as A Good Heart, is a keen fisherman and a well-known campaigner against the pollution of British rivers.

This week he retweeted two Shropshire Star stories relating to river pollution - one about Councillor Alex Wagner calling for a "sewage tax" on water companies and another about campaigners' water bills.

Mr Sharkey said: "Councillor Alex Wagner has called for the introduction of a sewage tax on water company profits. CEO of local water company Severn Trent Water was last year paid £3.9 million. Suspect they'll be able to pay that tax personally."

He added: "Shrewsbury residents threaten to withhold water bill payments in disgust at raw sewage washing up. I'm telling you, this is going to be a massive issue at the next election."

Up Sewage Creek campaigner Claire Kirby, who featured in the water bills story, said: "I was listening to Feargal Sharkey in the 1980s. I would never have imagined he would be retweeting me. In fact retweeting back then was just something that birds might do!"

She added: "He's brilliant, and so eloquent and articulate.

"People use the river as a retreat from modern life and the water companies are taking that away from people. It's a really big deal."

Severn Trent insists the company is committed to improving the health of the region's rivers and says it is investing £100 million a year. It also said water companies are responsible for 24 per cent of "reasons for not achieving good status" in relation to the health of rivers, according to Environment Agency data.

It comes ahead of a Shrewsbury Town Council meeting to discuss tackling pollution of the River Severn on Monday, February 27.

Among those in attendance will be another high profile campaigner, Ash Smith, founder of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution. Mr Smith will be attending the Theatre Severn meeting virtually. Also in attendance will be town councillors and Up Sewage Creek campaigners. Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski and Ludlow MP Philip Dunne have also been invited.

Claire said she wants as many members of the public as possible to attend the meeting.

"The town council is really on board with this. I would like as many people as possible to come along."

The meeting starts at 6pm.