A rotten-egg smell" has been reported along the River Wye, thought to be caused by pollution.

Lord David Lipsey highlighted the odour, as well as the decline of salmon and children falling ill after swimming, in a speech to the House of Lords.

The speech was delivered during the second reading of the Water Special Measures Bill, which was put forward in September to combat the UK's water quality issues.

Lord Lipsey, a resident of the Wye region, attributed the worsening condition of the river to pollution, allegedly from manure generated by large-scale poultry farms.

He said: "Residents such as us complain about children who are sick after swimming, rotten egg odours, opaque green pea-soup blooms and brown slime on the bottom.

"It is not the Wye that we moved next to 30 years ago.

"This beautiful river is being turned into a sewage dump."

Avara Foods Limited, Cargill PLC, and Freemans of Newent Limited face a legal claim from residents and businesses, represented by law firm Leigh Day, over alleged pollution of the River Wye.

The claim, initiated in March, accuses the poultry industry of causing phosphorous-rich manure to leach into the river, resulting in damaging algal blooms.

Lord Lipsey also praised the efforts of local residents and more than 200 citizen scientists who have collected water samples to highlight the deteriorating state of the River Wye.

His praise extended to Leigh Day for their work in improving the river's condition.

Oliver Holland, a partner at Leigh Day who is leading the River Wye claim, said: "The support of Lord Lipsey and the other parliamentarians taking part in the group is greatly beneficial, and we are pleased that he was able to take the opportunity in the House of Lords to highlight the deterioration of the Wye as well as the alleged polluters.

"This can only help raise awareness of the environmental issues facing the Wye region as we continue to progress with our legal case on behalf of people whose lives and livelihoods have suffered as a result of the river’s worsening state."

Lord Lipsey also warned of the wider implications of the river's "near-death state".

He said: "The near-death state of the Wye is a threat not only to local and national conservation but to this generation’s legacy to generations to come."

A group of parliamentarians from the River Wye region, have joined forces to raise awareness of the need to clean up the River Wye.

The group is being led by Lord Lipsey and supported by Leigh Day.