Dozens of fish found dead in Worthing's Brooklands Park: Everything we know so far

Worthing Borough Council said it was ‘working closely’ with the Environment Agency, which has ‘launched an urgent investigation’ after the discovery.

A council spokesperson told Sussex World: “We were made aware of a number of dead fish found in the lake at Brooklands Park and immediately contacted the Environment Agency, which is in the process of conducting tests on the water.

“A sample has been taken to the Environment Agency’s Exeter lab for further analysis and we are waiting for the results.

“At this stage a sewage discharge has been ruled out but the Environment Agency has stated that the dead fish had travelled downstream via the Teville stream into the lake and that the ecosystem and oxygen levels of the water at the lake is not a contributing factor.”

It has also been recommended that the fish are not removed ‘until we know what has caused this issue’ and ‘can assess any impact on the local environment’.

In a statement on social media, the council said ‘early indications’ ruled out sewage discharge and more tests are ongoing to identify the hazard.

“For public safety reasons we are urging people to keep pets out of the water until we are satisfied that we know what has happened and can safely plan and remove the fish,” the statement continued.

“Last year the extreme heatwave caused a mass mortality of fish due to the lack of oxygen in the water. To help reduce the risk this year, both wind turbines have been elevated to maximise the amount of oxygen they pump into the lake.

“In addition, officers from various departments have devised an Ecological Emergency Response to help with natural or man-made pollution events at Brooklands.

“A number of outlets run into the balancing lake including the Teville stream and surface water drainage, each subject to pollution hazards.”

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