Nature lovers visiting a picturesque Wiltshire estate were “disgusted” to find “human faeces” collecting in a lake where children swim.

But it turns out the cause if far less concerning, after an investigation by Thames Water.

Walkers who set out to enjoy the scenic public footpath that joins onto the Ramsbury Manor estate, near Marlborough, were shocked to discover large amounts of what looked like human poo floating in the River Kennett.

A shocked member of the Ramsbury Wildlife Group, who wished to remain anonymous, filmed the mess over the bank holiday weekend during an afternoon walk.

The footage showed what appeared to be sewage floating down the river from the direction of the manor and collecting under the bridge to White’s Hill.

He said: “The river that runs through the estate was full of excrement and it was clearly untreated sewage which collected at the bottom of the bridge.

“You’d think it would be treated and disposed of appropriately… it’s disgusting because young children bathe and swim in this river.

“It’s foul and disgusting, a lot of people are very angry because it is congregating at the bridge and it stinks, it’s vile.”

Thames Water, who collect and treat sewage in the north Wiltshire area, investigated the issue.

A spokesperson said: “We’re aware of reports concerning the River Kennet and the bridge at White’s Hill near Ramsbury. We do not have any sewage works at this section of the river, but we have sent engineers to investigate.

“Taking action to improve the health of rivers is a key focus for us and we have committed to investing £1.6billion in our sewers and sewage treatment works over the next two years.

“This includes planned investment at our local sewage treatment works in Ramsbury and Marlborough, which we expect to complete in 2025.”

They later added that after a site visit it was confirmed that it was not sewage but infact algae from the bottom of the lake.

"This is natural and seems to happen at this time every year," a spokesperson said.

"The estate has had no issues with foul water and its septic tanks are emptied once a month via a private tankering firm."