A stretch of bathing river will be created in Warwickshire as part of a £78million project announced by Severn Trent.

The scheme aims to make 15km of bathing quality waters by 2025, with trial sections created on the River Leam in Warwickshire and Teme in Ludlow.

Investigative work will start in Shropshire this week ahead of the Green Recovery Bathing Rivers project starting fully in 2023.

This will involve digging trial holes to investigate the ground conditions.

Severn Trent has also pledged to double the amount of bathing rivers in its region in the next 10 years.

The Leam runs from Northamptonshire through Leamington and into the River Avon in Warwick - Severn Trent has not revealed where along the river the bathing stretches will be created.

Wilfred Denga, project lead, said: "Before we can start making the improvements that will work towards bathing rivers created in Ludlow, we need to fully understand the ground conditions first.

"By doing this early investigative work we can really get to grips with what we're working with, meaning when we come to begin construction properly we know what to expect and everything can start smoothly."

He added: "When we've finished, we'll then return in the new year and start the bulk of the work where we'll make improvements on our network, and create additional storage to reduce the use of overflows and do our bit to get the river to bathing quality for everyone to enjoy."

The River Wharfe in Yorkshire is the only English river with designated bathing water status.

(Header image by Robin Stott via geograph.org.uk)