Raw sewage kills 4,500 fish (From Stroud News and Journal)

Raw sewage kills 4,500 fish

A LANDSLIDE which crashed into a sewage pipe in Stroud sent raw sewage flooding into a nearby canal which killed around 4,500 fish.

Severn Trent Water, which is responsible for the sewer, was alerted to the burst pipe at noon on Sunday. And by the following morning thousands of dead fish could be seen floating on the surface of the disused canal near Wall Bridge Lock by Cheapside.

The landslide occurred on an area adjacent to the canal - which is being developed by Chelbury Homes, which has declined to comment at this time.

When the SNJ went to press, the sewage leak had not been halted. Kate Cox, spokesman for Severn Trent Water, said: "It appears that the bank of the canal has actually slipped and one of our sewage pipes next to the bank has been fractured due to the landslide.

"A pumping operation was carried out so no further pollution is escaping from the pipe.

"We have contained the pollution spill to a small stretch of the canal which will be cleansed over the next couple of days to get it back to its normal state.

"We are looking at stabilising the bank so we can fix the broken section."

The stretch of canal makes up a key section of the Stroud District Angling Club's waters, and committee members are demanding answers.

"We want to know why the council allowed the developers to build over the main sewer," said treasurer Alan Churchill.

"It makes me sick thinking about it - and I want to know if we are going to be compensated?"

Stroud District Council spokesman Dave Marshall said: "The planning process deals with what is being built and whether it is acceptable in the location - it does not deal with the building process.

"We have no legal responsibility in this case."

Environment Agency spokesman Lyn Fraley said: "The oxygen levels in the water will be back to normal within weeks but it will be months before the fish recover."