Mr Bancroft claimed his work, to reinforce the riverbank he owned, had not affected anyone else’s land.
He admitted to the BBC that he had been carrying out the digging without the necessary Environment Agency permits and said he could not afford them.
Mr Bancroft said he had stopped work in July 2025 when ordered to do so by an Environment Agency enforcement officer.
Another local resident, Pauline Riley, said she was “frustrated and annoyed” with the response from the Environment Agency.
“After four years of us telling them what he’s done, they’ve done nothing. They’ve not even been down to the river to look at what he’s done.
“They have no idea the damage he has done”, she added.
The Environment Agency declined to respond to criticisms from residents, but said: “We take reports of unauthorised work in rivers seriously and will always investigate.
“Any confirmed unauthorised activity is assessed for potential harm to the watercourse and surrounding environment, and enforcement action will be taken where appropriate.”