Birds rescued after pond contaminated by oil

1 day ago

Asha PatelEast Midlands

A thin sheen of oil could be seen on the surface of the pond, which sits close to the River Trent

BBC A thin sheet of oil seen on the surface of a large pond — A thin sheen of oil could be seen on the surface of the pond, which sits close to the River Trent

Birds have been rescued from a pond in Nottinghamshire after it was contaminated in an oil spill, the Environment Agency has said.

The organisation was contacted after people spotted oil in a pond close to the River Trent in Radcliffe-on-Trent on Saturday.

Following an investigation, it is believed approximately 10 litres of oil spilled into the pond.

A spokesperson said: "We are continuing to monitor the situation and are reviewing next steps."

Nearby residents pictured swans covered in a black substance, but the contamination was not confirmed

Chris Swallow Two swans, partly covered with a black substance, near the bank of a river — Nearby residents pictured swans covered in a black substance, but the contamination was not confirmed

They added: "Our officers attended the site and confirmed a small oil spill, which we believe has come from a container deposited in the pond.

"A local wildlife group has been rescuing birds impacted by the spill, and we are making contact with the owner of the pond.

"A thin sheen of oil remains on the pond, however, we do not believe booms or pads would be effective at this time, and we do not anticipate further impacts to the environment or to other watercourses."

Birds affected by the spill were rescued by a wildlife charity

A close-up of oil at the edge of a pond in Radcliffe — Birds affected by the spill were rescued by a wildlife charity

A number of swans were seen on the river partly covered in a black substance but they had gone by the time rescuers came to examine them.

Radcliffe parish councillor Anne McLeod had visited the site on Sunday.

She said: "It's terrible. It's just very sad.

"I hope they [the culprits] didn't realise the repercussions of what they did - you hope people aren't that evil, really.

"It's a really precious place and it's just tragic."

McLeod said one oil container was removed from the water, but volunteers were unable to reach a second.

She added that she hoped the incident was a "one-off".

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