'Draconian' Environment Agency depriving Shrewsbury anglers from fishing spot used for last 35 years

Salmon anglers have said the Environment Agency (EA) are shunting them 20m further down the river in Shrewsbury away from the weir, taking away a spot which has been fished for "at least 35 years".

It comes as yet another blow for angling in the town. Shrewsbury Town Council meetings have previously been told how anglers have hooked sanitary products while fishing the River Severn in Shrewsbury due to the raw sewage problems, and that a competition which used to attracted anglers from far and wide has become less popular due to the poor quality of the river.

The government organisation, which has been doing work on the river relating to flooding, has used "heavy-handed" tactics, one angler said, even threatening fishermen with prosecution.

Phil Plant, of Shropshire Angling Federation, described the measures as "draconian". He said: "After a lot of harassment last year by the Environment Agency bailiffs, they have now announced that they are going to move the white line another 20 metres further down the concrete from the toe of the weir.