Barrage plan opposed by surfers

The bore attracts hundreds of visitors and surfers to the river

Surfers are campaigning against a proposal to build a £15bn barrage across the Severn Estuary.

The scheme, being considered by the government, would see nearly 5% of Britain's power generated by the tide.

But conservationists fears it could threaten wildlife and the famous River Severn bore which attracts hundreds of surfers and sightseers each year.

Steve King who broke a record for the longest surf, on the bore in 2005, said a barrage would choke the river.

"Restricting the flow of water twice a day would have a dramatic effect on the tide," he said.

Stagnant pond

"The bore will either be very, very small or disappear altogether.

"The main thing that we're worried about locally is that we don't really want to end up with a big stagnant pond because the tide comes in and out twice a day for a reason.

"It's like restricting an airway, stopping someone breathing."

The barrage could extend from the South Wales coast to Weston-super-Mare.

Supporters say it is an environmentally-friendly way to meet Britain's growing energy needs.

BBC Inside Out West reports on the growing campaign against the Severn Barrage project on BBC1 at 1930 GMT on Friday.