Unlike his Tory party colleague Boris Johnson, who is Mayor of London, MP Michael Ancram waded into a river on Monday without falling into the water.

Mr Ancram donned his Wellington boots to join campaigners in the River Kennet in Marlborough who want the Environment Agency to do more to improve the wellbeing of the waterway.

Last week Mr Johnson became involved in a similar publicity stunt on the River Pool in Lewisham in south east London. But the mayor came to grief when he slipped into a deep pool and, thanks only to an aide who grabbed him, managed to keep his head above water.

There was no such excitement on Monday when Mr Ancram joined members of Action for the River Kennet in the river by Coopers Meadow.

He waded calf-deep into the river with members of the river action group who want the Government to do more to restore the Kennet to the fast-flowing chalk stream it once was.

ARK wants the Environment Agency to accept that water abstraction at Axford and at Ogbourne is robbing the river to feed domestic supplies in new homes in Swindon.

Mr Ancram said he was fully behind ARK’s campaign to restore the river, its environment and the wildlife.

“I think we have to keep up the profile of needs on the River Kennet,” he said. “Ever since I have been an MP there have been problems with abstraction of water from the Kennet to provide supplies for homes in Swindon.

“We have to keep up the pressure on the Environment Agency if we are to achieve ARK’s aims.”

Charlotte Hitchmough from ARK said: “We were thrilled that Mr Ancram has not only agreed to support our aims but has come along to see the river for himself.”