River Frome inquiry after 100 fish die in slurry spill

An investigation has begun after 100 fish were found dead in a river that turned black following a slurry spill.

The 0.6 mile (1 km) stretch was along the East Woodlands tributary of the River Frome, near Edmund Park in Frome.

The Environment Agency (EA) said the pollution source was stopped on Friday.

Sue Everett, from Friends of the River Frome, said: "Slurry is devastating to the river. It will kill all the fish and water life."

An EA spokesman said it received reports of the problem after concerned people reported "fish in distress (gasping) and discolouration in a tributary of the River Frome, on the outskirts of the town".

Officers returned on Sunday, where they initially found 15 dead fish. But a full count has revealed that 100 perished.

"We suspect that these may have died before the pollution source was stopped on Friday," the spokesman said.

"Dissolved oxygen levels in the water are slightly below the ideal level, as a precaution we will use aeration equipment to improve oxygen levels this afternoon."

The EA has said its investigation may result in legal action so could not comment further about who was responsible.

Friends of the River Frome wants farmers and landowners to join a new group where they can receive guidance on slurry, grassland and hedgerow management to help nature.

Ms Everett added: "It's not a clean river.

"It's badly impacted by both pollution from agriculture and human sewage, with combined sewer overflows that go into the river.

"It's a very bad condition, we're all fed up with it."