Anger over suspected pollution incident at Netherfield Lagoons

A local conservation group is calling for urgent action after a stream became polluted at a Netherfield nature reserve.

Members of Gedling Conservation Trust, who own and manage Netherfield Lagoons, have said that one of the streams has been polluted for several weeks and the cause is still unknown.

They also said pollution had killed everything living in the stream and also much of the vegetation by the side. There is a strong smell in the area which Trust members said can be associated with contamination.

The stream discharges into the River Trent.

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The Environment Agency has visited the site since the pollution incident was reported and took samples for analysis – but no further action has yet been taken.

Mark Glover, chair of trustees of Gedling Conservation Trust, has now called on local agencies to start taking the incident “more seriously”.

He said: “It is extremely disappointing that the responsible agencies seem not to be taking this pollution incident more seriously.

“It has contaminated a stream running through the most important nature reserve in Gedling, killing everything that lived in it.

“The smell in the area is horrendous and, considering the polluted water crosses a public right of way, it is possible that there is a threat to human health.”

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We are currently investigating a pollution incident near to Netherfield Lagoons in Nottinghamshire.

“We have taken samples from the watercourse and are working to identify the cause”.