A British barrister and an environmental campaigner who led a volunteer effort to clean up a heavily polluted river in East London is now under investigation and could face up to two years in prison for carrying out the work without official permits.
Paul Powlesland, a 40-year-old barrister specialising in environmental and planning law, took matters into his own hands and helped organise a 10-day community project to restore a 25-metre stretch of Aldersbrook, a tributary of the River Roding in Barking, East London.
“With 10 days of intense effort by dedicated volunteers, the river River Roding Trust managed to clean up & restore 250 metres of the Aldersbrook (about 1/3 of the brook). This allows a direct comparison between the parts of the brook we restored
& those we haven’t got round to yet,” he said in a post shared on X, which showed the before and after glimpses of the brook.
The team removed more than 200 bags of rubbish from the brook. The clean-up also cleared thick silt deposits, invasive plants, branches, discarded household appliances, and other waste that had accumulated over the years.
He Said Fishes And Dragon Flies Have Returned
“A hundred metres away, and it’s a different story. The rubbish & the invasive species (I sprayed the knotweed myself last autumn) are gone. The silt that used to clog the river is now spread on the banks & rapidly providing fertile ground for native plants. Instead of sludge, there’s 2-3ft of water, so fish have returned to the brook for the first time in decades, along with dragonflies, herons & a nesting moorhen,” he added.
The Environment Agency Opened An Investigation
Despite the apparent environmental improvements, the Environment Agency has opened an investigation into this project. Authorities allege that volunteers carried out unpermitted works, including dredging the river and moving waste from the floodplain.
After decades of ignoring rampant environmental crime on the Roding, @EnvAgency has finally decided to act. Bad news! It’s not against Thames Water for illegally dumping billions of litres of sewage in the Roding, or the waste criminals who have dumped thousands of tonnes of rubbish on its banks, but against myself & a small volunteer charity for… restoring a river without a permit!” Powlesland said in another post.
Reacting to his post, the Environment Agency said, “We strongly support communities improving their local environment. It’s our responsibility to work with landowners to make sure activity doesn’t cause unintended harm to the environment. We’re investigating some unpermitted work on the River Roding but no decision has been made.”
Internet Is Praising Paul Powlesland For His Efforts
Once the incident came into light, people began voicing their support for Powelesland and criticising the authorities.
“Brilliant work, well done. Such a shame that the authorities seem incapable of doing what everyone thinks they should, ie, actively caring for the environment,” said one user.
“As is so often the case these days, the authorities are failing to do what they should be doing, and so it falls to members of the public to sort problems out. Work like yours helps protect #biodiversity in what I am calling the #WarAgainstNature,” quipped another person.
Before & After…
If anyone doubts the power of community action over the @EnvAgency’s spineless inertia, you can walk to the outskirts of Ilford & walk along an ancient lost river to see for yourself.
With 10 days of intense effort by dedicated volunteers, the river River… https://t.co/1ESSEurpHn pic.twitter.com/jwSIvbFo68
— Paul Powlesland (@paulpowlesland) June 18, 2026
“Seeing the environmentally damaging knotweed growing on the banks of the river, along with discarded rubbish and thick silt, and then the side you and other volunteers have restored to life is just wonderful. I’ll happily join a lobbying campaign if you set one up,” someone else remarked.
Meanwhile, one person commented, “I think what a lot of people won’t understand is the personal risk in these undertakings too. It isn’t just a paddle. There are wiles and tetanus risks; you never know what’s underneath what you see. Utterly embarrassing to take these heroes to court.”
