Polish fisherman Radoslaw Papiewski is hoping to use his diplomatic skills to stop fellow countrymen from eating fish they catch from the river in Chippenham, before rod wars break out on the tow path.

Mr Papiewski, 29, who lives in Chippenham, has set up a project after anglers in the town reported seeing an increasing number of Eastern European fishermen failing to throw their catch back into the River Avon.

Angling shop owner Colin Gittins, of Premier Angling in New Road, Chippenham, said: “I have even seen people with carrier bags full of fish, and so have several other people.

“They just catch anything and everything, knock it on the head and eat it.”

Mr Gittins said most of the migrants he gets in his shop are fishing legally because they have rod licences, but are not playing by Chippenham Angling Club rules and throwing fish back in the water. He said: “They buy a licence so they cannot get thrown off the water, but some will go to great lengths to take the fish.

“One club member caught some people with a net, and it seems to be that they enjoy having a party with bonfires and drinks and things.”

Mr Papiewski, who has lived in Chippenham for five years and is site manager at Esso On The Run in Chippenham, is spearheading a project called Building Bridges, which is backed by the Environment Agency and Angling Trust.

He said: “There is a lot of tension between local anglers and foreign anglers and I thought maybe there was a chance to do something about it. I will use Polish newspapers and other community networks to discourage the poaching and encourage greater integration with mainstream angling clubs.

“I will try to arrange for members of the migrant community to attend angling club meetings, then to join the club and agree to the rules about returning fish.”

But Mr Gittins, an associate committee member of the Chippenham Angling Club, said the Building Bridges project will only work if the people are willing to cooperate.

Under club rules fish caught on all waters controlled by Chippenham Angling Club are to be returned to the water.