Campaigners from Thames Tunnel Now were out in force promoting their message to visitors to the Thames Festival held on the embankment outside City Hall.

They received a warm reception from Londoners who want an end to the scandal which sees a staggering 39 million tonnes of untreated sewage entering the Thames every year as London’s Victorian sewers struggle to cope with the demands of a city with 8 million people.

Campaigners from the London Wildlife Trust, Thames Anglers Conservancy, Thames21 and the Angling Trust staffed the TTN stall on both days of the festival weekend (8th & 9thSeptember) handing out leaflets and collecting signatures in support of the Tideway Tunnel.

Thames Water had approximately 800 visitors stop by the Tideway Tunnel stand to meet staff members, check out models of how the tunnel will be built and watch films explaining the issue of untreated sewage flowing into the River Thames. There was also a pledge board where scores of visitors signed to show their support for plans to clean up London’s river.

Debbie Leach, Chief Executive of Thames21 said: “The Festival was a wonderful weekend in celebration of the river and it was fantastic to see everyone not just enjoying the Thames, but wanting to talk about the challenges it faces. I was really struck by the overwhelming level of support for the Thames Tunnel project and people recognising that sewage in the river must be dealt with effectively, decisively and without further delay.”

Richard Crimp of Thames Anglers Conservancy added: “The Tideway Tunnel simply has to happen as soon as possible, the current ecological status of the river is an environmental disaster that needs to be rectified, to do otherwise is grossly irresponsible and short sighted. Millions of tonnes of untreated sewage spew into the river every year and it has to stop.”

Chief Executive of London Wildlife Trust, Carlo Laurenzi said: ‘It was a delight to see so many people who love the Thames and its wildlife at the weekend. The Thames Tunnel will greatly improve the health of the river for a wide range of wildlife from European eel, flounder and smelt, to grey heron and even grey seal.’