River ecosystems in England and Wales are being increasingly threatened with over-abstraction by water companies, according to a study by WWF.
The study, 'Riverside Tales', looked at three 'unique' chalk streams under stress - the Itchen, the upper Kennet and the tributaries of the upper Lee (the Mimram and the Beane) - to find out whether existing plans by water companies and the public regulators were protecting the waterways.