Champion kayaker complains of human waste in river

A British kayaker and nine-time world champion says she's "disgusted" and at "breaking point" over pollution after being surrounded by human faeces on the River Trent.

Ottilie Robinson-Shaw was at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham earlier this month when she found herself paddling through waste and toilet paper and then watched it continue past for about 30 minutes.

Her comments come after renewed concerns over water quality in the river, which supplies the sports centre, led to questions being asked in parliament.

Robinson-Shaw, who posted video footage of the waste on social media, said: "I want to share my passion with other people but I want it to be safe for them to do so."

The issue was highlighted after kayaker Eoin Matthews said he fell "very ill" 36 hours after falling into the white water facility and swallowing water.

In turn this led to James Naish, the local MP, raising the issue in a debate in Parliament on public ownership of water companies last month.

Robinson-Shaw said she had often seen pollution in the Trent.

"I've been paddling in the Trent for about 12 years and it's made me sick a lot," she said.

"As a kid I missed a tonne of school due to throwing up and feeling unwell but this was my first time seeing human faeces in a solid form float pass.

"But for many years it has been polluted, I've seen nappies and it's often brown and smells of waste".

After trying to ignore the issue to allow her to train, the latest incident prompted her to speak out.

"It's been a problem for a long time but now there is a bit of a movement where people like myself are speaking up and saying 'This isn't on'," she said.

"We have this brilliant facility, we are so lucky, but it's about protecting the next generation.

"If I had kids I don't know if I would want them in the river - but I also know kayaking is my favourite sport and I want to share my passion with other people but I want it to be safe for them to do so.

"I don't want to put people off the sport, I love it so much, but at the end of the day being outside, being on the river is really good for you - but I am at breaking point. We can't keep getting sick."

Leisure Solutions Community Trust (LSCT), which operates the site alongside Serco for Nottinghamshire County Council, said it had "limited ability to directly influence the quality of incoming river water"

LSCT contract manager Craig Braham, said: "We share the concerns raised about potential waste in the river and have reported the matter to the relevant authorities.

"The source of the potential waste has not been confirmed, so we would not want to speculate about its origin"

While water companies should only release untreated sewage during "exceptional weather events," Surfers Against Sewage said in 2025 that Severn Trent Water released waste on more than 1,600 occasions from nearly 300 sites, even on days with no significant rainfall.

A spokesperson for Severn Trent said: "We investigated our network fully, and the issues in the video are not related to any Severn Trent activity in the area.

"The nearby overflows have not operated in the days before the video and we have had no reports of issues in the area.

"We want to assure customers we are relentless in our work to make a positive difference to river health, protecting and improving them remains one of our biggest priorities and we've committed £2bn on improvements between 2025 and 2030."

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