“There is no silver bullet to solve this issue. Only a mixture of solutions and innovative thinking,” said Ms Fookes, who urges focus on high street revival as part of economic growth plans.

Most people already know how passionate I am about cleaning up our rivers following years of pollution.

That’s why, while we await the Clean Water Bill being put forward by the Government, which promises to deliver the biggest shake-up of the water industry in a generation, I am urging the UK Government to use this legislation to introduce a Water Protection Zone along the length of the River Wye – for both the Welsh and English parts of the river.

This is one of the main calls from Friends of the River Wye, and I believe it would help tackle pollution, prevent soil erosion and better protect this iconic river for generations to come.