People are being warned not to swim in the River Chess as sewage is flowing into its waters.

Three Rivers District Council said waste was getting into the river as a sewage works in Chesham  had become overwhelmed by record rainfall earlier this year.

A council spokesman said: "This means that the quality of the river water downstream from the Chesham Works is currently very poor. We advise the public to avoid contact with river water and to keep children and pets out of the river."