Steve Coogan visits St Albans and takes trip to River Ver

The comedy legend has history in Hertfordshire, with his 2006 BBC comedy series Saxondale being set in Stevenage.

The actor, best known for his Alan Partridge character, is a keen environmentalist and has long campaigned for an end to the discharge of sewage in England's rivers.

It should be no surprise then that he took the time to visit the River Ver, a rare natural chalk stream (one of only around 200 in the world).

The river has been plagued by the dumping of raw sewage in recent years, with data showing that thousands of hours worth of sewage has been pumped into the river in 2024 alone.

On his visit, Mr Coogan said: "It is a scandal that privatised utility companies have spent 30 years paying huge dividends and not investing their money in improving the quality of water in this country. 

"The price we've paid is huge amounts of raw sewage being dumped in our rivers and lakes."

Steve Coogan visits St Albans (Image: Steve Coogan)

Coogan's comedy career spans over four decades, with various ventures under the Alan Partridge persona, as well as successful film roles and stand up comedy tours.

A new Alan Partridge show is currently filming, ahead of an expected release later this year.

The 58-year-old has never shied away from activism, combining his environmental work with a leading role campaigning against phone hacking.

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He's also a seasoned political campaigner and used his visit to the area to weigh in on next week's General Election.

He gave his backing to Liberal Democrat Victoria Collins in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, urging people to 'vote tactically' in a bid to defeat the Conservative Party.

The Liberal Democrats have made the protection of rivers such as the River Ver a key part of their campaign, winning the vote of the actor in the process.

The other candidates in Harpenden and Berkhamsted are: Nigel Gardner (Conservative Party), Zara Layne (Labour Party), Paul de Hoest (Green Party), Saba Poursaeedi (Reform UK) and Mark Patten (Social Democratic Party).