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Champion kayaker Ottilie Robinson-Shaw speaks out over human waste pollution in River Trent
Overview
Nine-time world champion kayaker Ottilie Robinson-Shaw has expressed disgust and reached breaking point after encountering human faeces and toilet paper while paddling at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham. The incident has intensified local concerns regarding water quality in the River Trent, prompting parliamentary debate and responses from facility operators and Severn Trent Water.
Key points
- Ottilie Robinson-Shaw recorded video footage of human waste and toilet paper floating past her at the National Water Sports Centre earlier this month.
- The nine-time world champion stated that she has frequently fallen ill over 12 years of paddling in the polluted river.
- The issue recently gained attention after another kayaker, Eoin Matthews, fell ill after swallowing water at the facility, leading local MP James Naish to raise concerns in Parliament.
- Leisure Solutions Community Trust (LSCT), which operates the site, stated it has limited ability to directly influence incoming river water quality and has reported the matter to authorities.
- Severn Trent Water stated that its network was fully investigated, the issues in the video are unrelated to its activity, and nearby overflows had not operated prior to the recording.