Wild swimmers said it was no surprise when they had to cancel their New Year's Day swim as a sewage treatment works upstream had been discharging since the early hours of the morning.

Like thousands across the country who enjoy a festive dip on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, Oxford swimmers used to flock to Airmen's Bridge in Wolvercote.

But on this New Year's Day sewage had been pumping into the water from the Finstock sewage treatment works since 3.30am.

The discharges flow into the River Evenlode that flows to the Thames and Wolvercote Mill Stream.

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Madeleine Metcalfe, who lives in Meadow Prospect, said: "I was really looking forward to the annual New Year’s Day swim at the Bathing Place in Wolvercote.

"But yet again, more illegal sewage discharging into our beautiful river has ruined plans."

Mike Benson who normally would swim in The Thames, said: "It’s no less disgusting or disgraceful just because it’s expected."

In December the Wolvercote Mill Stream, which achieved designated bathing water status in April 2022, was rated 'poor' for a third consecutive year, with the Environment Agency advising people to avoid swimming in it.

If it is ranked "poor" for five consecutive years it could lose its special status.

Wolvercote councillor Jo Sandelson was a member of Brrr! swimming group who shone a spotlight on the issue when they were forced to cancel their Boxing Day river dip in 2021.

Thames Water company were discharging sewage from Witney on Christmas Day.

She said sewage "discharging up to several hours or even a day's worth at a time is becoming increasingly unacceptable to residents.

"It's destroying our wildlife habitat, our well-being. Even if we aren't river users, we've had enough of our rivers and waterways being turned into open sewers," she said.

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A Thames Water spokesperson said it was "the first company to provide live alerts for all untreated discharges" and to make this data available as a map on its website and "through an open data platform for third parties, such as swimming and environmental groups, to use".

She said: “We regard all discharges as unacceptable and we have published plans to upgrade over 250 of our sewage treatment works and sewers including Finstock STW.

"In 2023, the first round of upgrades at Finstock STW were completed to ensure higher quality of treated effluent was going into the river.

"Next week, further upgrades will commence to increase capacity in the storm tanks, which is expected to be completed this year.”