Shock after rare fish discovered on river walk

Alex Jones photographed the eel before it slithered back into the water

A guide has told of the "hugely exciting" moment one of his groups discovered a rare species of fish near Coventry.

Alex Jones, from the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, was taking members of the public around the River Sherbourne when somebody pointed out what he realised was a critically endangered European eel.

The find was made on 7 September, the first day of Coventry's River Festival.

It was a remarkable first for the river and a significant moment for conservation efforts in the city, the trust said.

Mr Jones confirmed the sighting when it was pointed out to him and took a photo of the fish before it disappeared from view.

"To have an eel sighting in the River Sherbourne, especially so close to the city centre, shows the potential that the Sherbourne has to recover and improve ecologically," he said.

"This is a hugely exciting discovery."

The critically endangered European eel was found near Coventry city centre

The eel is a red-listed species, meaning it is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

They are thought by scientists to migrate large distances, travelling from the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean to European rivers.

The recording has since been submitted to the Warwickshire Biological Records Centre for documentation.

The find was "fantastic and vitally important to help our understanding of this species", a spokesperson for the centre said.