ENVIRONMENTAL officers will be making house-to-house calls in Leyland in a bid to stop river pollution.

The National Rivers Authority (NRA) is visiting about 30 homes this week to warn householders and farmers how to prevent dangerous contamination of local rivers and streams.

The house calls were prompted after a chemical and biologicaL survey on Tarra Carr Gutter stream, which runs through Midge Hall Moss and Longton, showed it was being contaminated from nearby homes.

Officers will be urging people with septic tanks to check they have full permission from the NRA to discharge anything but clean water into local streams.

"If serious pollution problems are found and solutions cannot be agreed the NRA may prosecute," said David Gibson, pollution control officer.

David Clarke, chairman of the National Union of Farmers in the North West, said: "We have to make sure any polluted water goes out through the drains."

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