River Trent water quality "is improving"

The quality of water in the river Trent is improving, according to one environmental expert.

David Lowe, a manager at the Environment Agency, said that pollution levels in the waterway have fallen substantially.

His comments follow the contamination of the river with cyanide, which killed thousands of fish and required agency officers to pump oxygen into it yesterday and on Tuesday.

"This incident is under control, but we continue to monitor the situation closely. As a precaution, people and animals should stay out of the water until further notice," stated Mr Lowe.

He added that there are no drinking water abstraction points on the affected stretch of river and that public drinking supplies have not been damaged.

This is according to the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which regulates public water supplies in England and Wales and assesses the quality of water for human consumption.

However, thousands of fish have died and the agency considers the incident to be serious, continued Mr Lowe.

Posted by Lauren Steadman