On England's dead rivers, fishing towns are dying too

The Conservative government leaves behind a shocking legacy of river pollution. Between warming waters, bacteria and sewage discharges, it's not clear if the communities on the waterways have a future

By Richard Booth

"It’s not dying: look at it, it’s dead."

Tim Biddlestone is standing on a beach off the River Teign, overlooking the water he has relied on to support his family for more than 50 years. 

The former parish councillor is in his seventies, with the kind of white moustache and mutton chops only a true seaman can get away with. He stands by his…