Sewage and e.coli found in stretch of Thames set to stage Boat Race

The Oxford University men’s team training on the Thames - (Zac Goodwin/PA Wire)

E-coli levels along the stretch of the River Thames where the annual Boat Race takes place are three times over the threshold for poor bathing water, campaigners have found.

Samples collected between March 10 and April 7 by members of River Action, showed 29.5 per cent exceeded safe limits for entering the water.