Stars warned not to mock super-sewer by Thames bosses

Comedian Lee Hurst and Dame Helen Mirren received letters from Thames Water after they spoke out against plans for London's £3.6 billion super-sewer.

They were warned by the utility giant not to listen to the "local rumour mill" after East End-born Hurst branded the project "a dreadful idea".

The 20-mile Thames Tunnel broadly follows the river and will collect sewage discharge triggered by rainfall. Thames Water says 39 million tonnes of untreated waste flow into the river every year.

Dame Helen had given her "full support" to the SaveKEMP campaign amid concerns work at King Edward VII Memorial Park in Wapping could last for seven years. Campaigners and Tower Hamlets council fear parts will be concreted so workers can gain access to a 100-year-old sewage overflow.

Hurst, Mirren and Delia Smith were among more than 5,000 Londoners to sign a petition against the plan. Hurst said: "I think it's a dreadful idea that one of the best locations for East Enders to enjoy a stroll and great view of the Thames is to be ruined."

Phil Stride, head of London Tideway Tunnels, wrote to him: "With a project as significant as ours, we find the local rumour mill can go into overdrive, so we prefer to have a conversation with people direct. Moving the construction site further afield would only add to the overall disruption."

Toni Davey, from SaveKEMP, said: "Calling our campaign a rumour mill is an insult to over 5,000 residents and park users who signed the petition, and to Boris Johnson, the GLA, our MP and the council, all of whom support us."

Hurst said today: "I don't know why Thames Water contacted me . . . it seems they have not contacted anyone else who supports the campaign."

A Thames Water spokeswoman said: "There are two sides to every story, so we hope people who make public comments about the project will want to hear what we have to say. That's why we are contacting them as we have been doing with local residents."