Investigation launched as fish die in pool

Dozens of dead fish could be seen floating on the surface of Holmer Lake, Telford, on Friday

The Environment Agency (EA) is pumping oxygen into a pool after pollution killed a large number of fish.

Holmer Lake in Stirchley, Telford, has been closed to anglers while an investigation is under way.

Images taken by a member of the community group that looks after the pool show a brown substance on the surface of the water, and dozens of dead fish.

Severn Trent, which owns the pool, said it was working with a "third party" believed to be the source of the pollution.

A brown substance was also visible on the surface of the pool

The EA told the BBC it was working in conjunction with Severn Trent, and its latest report said levels of dissolved oxygen were improving.

Severn Trent said the pollution was not a result of its operations.

The company added: "We believe the source of the pollution is coming from a third party which we are now working with.

"We have been liaising with partners including the Environment Agency which has been supporting throughout the incident.”

'Disaster' scene

Rick Shaw, chair of the Friends of Holmer Lake, said it was the "scene of a disaster".

Speaking from the scene on Friday morning, he said three pumps were at work.

"It's not just an impact on the fish. If the fish go, then the things that feed on the fish can also be affected.

"We’ve got cormorants, kingfishers, herons all here, there’s a number of water fowl as well.

"I’m just hoping if we can get the oxygen level up, reduce the death, then we don’t sort of break a part of the ecosystem here."