THE TRUSTEES of the River Wye and Lugg Navigation stand together as the "thin line" against the Environment Agency and vested interests such as salmon fishermen who would close the river for all other uses, it was claimed this week.

In the wake of a statement issued by Gloucester Harbour Trustees saying, that in their view, the Wye and Lugg Navigation had no legal standing, trustee Frank Barton responded with a stinging attack.

He accused the Gloucester trustees of wanting to "pick and choose the law" and claimed that their statement was "mischievous and misleading,"

"They are picking a scrap. They work hand in hand with the Environment Agency and they are trying to get some mud to stick.

"But we have every right on our side. Our trustees are appointed by, among others, the mayors of Monmouth and Hereford and we want to put navigation on the Wye in its rightful place. It is one of the last free navigations in the country and we intend to see that it remains so," said Mr Barton.

Fundamentally, he said, the trustees of the Wye and Lugg wanted free access to the river for everyone.

"We are the thin line against the Environment Agency and other interests such as salmon fishermen and some canoeists who would like to have it all to themselves.

"I dream of the day boats once again use the Gloucester to Hereford canal and then drop down the Wye to Chepstow and back to Gloucester. It would be a wonderful round trip of 200 miles," he said.

Mr Barton said the Wye and Lugg trustees recognised the other authorities and were quite prepared to work alongside them.

"It happens elsewhere, but this is a local situation. In my view there is a hidden agenda. They certainly don't want to see any boats on the river. Meanwhile we are waiting for councillors to wake up to the potential of the Wye. Our suggested improvements would mean more water and more fish," he said.

In a statement to the Review Gloucester Harbour Trustees say they are the competent harbour authority for an area which includes the tidal part of the River Wye below Bigsweir Bridge.

"GHT are the statutory navigation authority for the River Wye below Bigsweir Bridge and do not recognise any other organisation over this part of the river.

"It is GHT's view that the former Trustees of the River Wye and Lugg Navigation were incorporated as the Company of Proprietors of the River Wye and Lugg Navigation and Horse Towing Path by the 1809 Act. Thereafter the former Trustees ceased to exist and cannot now be revived.

"The Company of Proprietors have been dormant since the middle of the last century and the High Court held in 1995 that persons purporting to act on behalf of the Proprietors had no powers to do so."

The statement adds that in the view of the Gloucester Harbour Trustees anyone purporting to act on behalf of the Company of Proprietors of the Wye and Lugg had no legal standing and would be personally liable for their actions.

Mr Barton said that the Wye and Lugg trustees had since fully proved their standing and that they were enshrined and protected within four acts of parliament.

•Two years ago the Environment Agency sought statutory powers from the government to manage the Wye and its tributaries.

There were many objections and a public inquiry was held, the result of which is expected soon.