ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly children at a Halesowen school have vowed to help stop the polluting of the River Stour.

Year four pupils at Caslon Primary School contacted the News after our front page detailing the River Stour being turned milky white through pollution.

The eight and nine-year-olds want to help the River Stour Clear Water Project Save Our Stour campaign.

Maryellen MacInnes, from Caslon Primary School, said: "We are currently doing a class project about rivers and mountains and as part of this we have been looking at pollution.

"The children feel very passionately about this and are also really keen to help Save our Stour."

The river became synonymous with pollution for two centuries as factories which powered the industrial revolution dumped huge amounts of waste into the water killing wildlife. However, in recent years the Environment Agency and local agencies have worked together to improve the river.

Caslon Primary School pupil Kieron Baker said: "I think it is a disgrace that factories are tipping polluted waste water into the river.

"Why isn't the council doing anything?"

He added: "It is not fair on the wildlife because they are drinking it."

Amear Hamed added: "I think that the people that are polluting the water needs to get punished, we want our River Stour to be safe."

Rosie Welch also is determined to help prevent pollution, she said: "I am annoyed to hear the factories are so cheap to clean their poisonous water before it flows into the River Stour.

"I would love to know how me and my community could help because it should not be left to one person and if Dudley Council were doing there health checks this would not happen at all."