Crowds gathered near the Tide Mill in Woodbridge as part of a national “Paddle-Out Protest” on Saturday.
Demonstrators were seen both in the water and along the quay, highlighting concerns over water quality in Suffolk’s rivers and beyond.
Protestors gathered in Woodbridge and across the UK this weekend (Image: Colin Ricardo)
Event photographer Colin Ricardo said: “Paddle-Out Protests are a pivotal moment in the campaign calendar, they are sewage pollution protests run by local communities.
“This year, there are 56 happening across the UK, which will see people coming together to stand up to the water industry in the very spaces we want to protect – the water, the beaches, the rivers and all that surrounds them.”
The Woodbridge ‘River Deben’ event was attended by about 50 people carrying placards, both in the river and on the quay alongside the Tide Mill
Suffolk County Councillor Ruth Leach was in attendance to welcome everyone and recite a moving reading to the life of river and beaches.
Organisers say sewage pollution continues to pose a serious risk to both wildlife and public health, with campaigners warning more must be done to tackle the issue.
The protest formed part of a wider national day of action aimed at putting pressure on water companies and regulators to reduce pollution incidents.
Campaigners say events like the one in Woodbridge show growing public concern — and a determination to protect local waterways for future generations.
Mr Ricardo added: “Sewage pollution has a devastating impact on both the environment and human health, and more needs to be done to end the sewage pollution crisis that plagues the UK.”
Organisers Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), founded in 1990, has long campaigned against pollution caused by combined sewage overflows, which can release a mix of untreated waste, road runoff and household chemicals into rivers and coastal waters.