Dead fish in Corby lake not linked to pollution, council says

A council has said it does not believe the discovery of dead fish in a lake is linked to a recent pollution incident.

North Northamptonshire Council said it was trying to ascertain the cause of the "sad incident" at Oakley Vale lake in Corby.

The council has warned people not to touch the fish.

Residents were told to stay away from the lake last month following what appeared to be a deliberate dumping of oil into a culvert.

Posts started appearing on social media earlier this week about a number of dead fish being found in Oakley Vale lake.

Some of them linked the discovery with an earlier oil pollution incident which North Northamptonshire Council had been trying to clear.

When the pollution was reported, the council said it appeared the oil has been deliberately dumped into a culvert, which feeds into the lake.

It urged residents to "keep away and make sure pets do not enter the lake".

Following the discovery of the dead and dying fish, the leader of the council, Conservative Jason Smithers, said: "At this stage, we do not believe that this is connected to the recent pollution incident and are working to understand the cause.

"The Environment Agency are aware of the incident and we are working with them to understand the events that have led to this sad incident."

The council added that contractors had been appointed to remove the affected fish and urged residents not to allow pets to enter the water.

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