A FERTILISER spillage caused hundreds of fish to die at Longdon Brook, says the Environment Agency (EA).

The Evening News reported last week that around 350 dead fish, mainly chub and pike, were found dead in the brook, which runs through a Worcestershire Wildlife Trust nature reserve and a major wetland restoration project at Hill Court Farm, Longdon, near Upton-upon-Severn.

Charles Tucker, the EA's environment management team leader who responded to the spill, said whenever appropriate, the agency would take legal action.

"The agency will monitor and promote the recovery of the brook to bring it back to its former condition and will continue its campaign of pollution prevention to prevent a recurrence," he said. "Our message is that it is cheaper to take responsibility than face fines and clean-up bills."

Andy Graham, from the Trust, said the deaths of the fish could easily have been avoided.

He said the wide availability of guidance to landowners made the pollution of rivers and streams "inexcusable".

"Today, everyone understands how damaging farm waste and chemicals can be," said Mr Graham.

"Prosecution for polluting rivers is a final resort that need never happen when it is so straightforward to adopt safe storage and working practices."

He added that it could take months, possible even years, before the fish population returned to normal.

"Eels, which migrate thousands of miles from their breeding grounds, are suffering a population decline globally so it was doubly sad to see large numbers of dead eels in the brook," said Mr Graham.

"There will be an immediate knock-on effect to otters which hunt along the brook."