Steve Coogan made a surprise visit to Hertfordshire yesterday to show support for tactical voting.

The comedy legend has history in the county, 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, in St Albans, 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. 

Harpenden and Berkhamsted Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Victoria Collins with Steve Coogan.Harpenden and Berkhamsted Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Victoria Collins with Steve Coogan. (Image: Herts Liberal Democrats)

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

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.

South West Herts Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sally Symington with Steve Coogan. (Image: Herts Lib Dems)

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

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

He met with Liberal Democrat candidate for the South West Herts constituency Sally Symington and fellow Lib Dem candidate, for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, Victoria Collins 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.

Full list of South West Hertfordshire constituency candidates for the general election on July 4, 2024:

  • Gagan Mohindra – The Conservative Party
  • Michael McGetrick – Social Democratic Party
  • Bernadette O’Malley – Party of Women
  • Ketankumar Pipaliya – UK Voice – for Safer and Stronger UK
  • Narinder Sian – Green Party
  • Victor Silkin – Rejoin Eu
  • Keith Steers – Reform UK
  • Alex Sufit – Labour Party
  • Sally Symington – Liberal Democrats

Full list of Harpenden and Berkhamsted candidates for the general election on July 4, 2024:

  • Nigel Gardner - The Conservative Party
  • Zara Layne - Labour Party
  • Paul de Hoest - Green Party
  • Saba Poursaeedi - Reform UK
  • Mark Patten - Social Democratic Party
  • Victoria Collins -