A TOWN council is being called on to take action over water pollution in a brook in the grounds of a castle.

Caldicot Castle and country park warden Phillip Marshall is furious at the state of Nedern Brook in the castle grounds.

He said pollution from nearby estates is destroying wildlife and even poses a public health risk.

Mr Marshall, 46, of Church Road Avenue, Caldicot, has worked as warden of the castle grounds for eight years.

He said: "In effect it is an open drain running though the country park. It's a health risk and I am absolutely disgusted."

He said breeding fowl numbers are dropping and says the root of the problem is a storm drain which runs into the brook from the new housing estate on nearby Church Road.

The storm drain is 40 yards inside the boundary of a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), awarded to the area because of its natural floodplains which act as a breeding ground for wading birds. He says detergents, oil and even paint are getting washed down this drain and into the brook.

Town councillor Ron Stewart is taking up the issue at a town council meeting tomorrow.

He said: "Four years ago the waters of the brook were crystal clear - now they are soapy and oily.

"It can only get worse until there is no wildlife left."

He wants the town council to get information out to locals suggesting ways of minimising the pollution.

He also wants the town council to lobby the Environment Agency to persuade them to take the problem seriously.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "We did have reports of problems last year which were resolved with Welsh Water. We have not had any reports since then, but will be looking into the problems.

"Whether through ignorance or deliberately we do often get people putting pollutants down drains and it would be helpful if the town council could spread information on what people should and shouldn't be doing."