David Walliams - and Londoners - deserve a better river

Helen Dunk

13 September 2011

People stopped and stared. Cyclists ground to a halt to get a good look. Out came the mobile phones to snap pictures. The cause of all the fuss? A swimmer going for an afternoon exercise session - nose clip, goggles, the works, with water cascading off his shaved head.

Nothing unusual in that - except he was swimming in the Regent's Canal just up from our offices in the back streets of Islington. Amongst the blooming toxic algae and the discarded cans of special brew.

I've seen the same anonymous man taking a dip a couple of times since - always with the feeling that one day, his iron constitution will fall victim to the pollution and muck in the water.

Reading about David Walliams swimming the Thames to raise money for Comic Relief, and the "Thames tummy" he got hit by in spite of a precautionary course of antiobiotics, showed my fears weren't misplaced.

The Regents Canal joins the Thames - which our London campaigner Jenny tells me is often inundated with fresh sewage when we get heavy rainfall because of inadequate drainage systems. To say nothing of the usual hazards of pollutants, rats and rubbish.

Walliams showed true grit by ploughing on with his Thames swim despite getting ill.

But it's a disgrace that our city's iconic river should be in such a state in the 21^st century - we need urgent action to clean it up to the standard Londoners, and brave comedians, deserve.

Helen Dunk, Communications & Media team