ROGUE fish that were set to wipe out the beetle and newt population of a York pond have been captured and re-homed.

The two fish - a chub and a 9lb grass carp - were wreaking havoc in Hassacar Pond, in Dunnington, York, by eating the weed and resident insect population.

They are believed to have been put into the pond illegally.

Terry Weston of Dunnington Conservation Group, contacted the Environment Agency after seeing the fish and the damage they were doing to the plants and wildlife.

The Environment Agency fisheries team leapt into action and set about capturing the squatters.

Running a net through the water they easily caught the two fish, which were then re-homed where they could not cause any more damage.

Fisheries officer John Littlewood said: "We were happy to help out and remove these fish as they were clearly causing a problem.

"If they had been left much longer, they could easily have completely decimated the resident beetle and newt populations.

"The fish may have been put in the water by someone not realising the damage they could cause and they may even have been a lot smaller when introduced.

"It just goes to show that simply moving only two fish and introducing them to the wrong location could have caused devastation."

The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 sets out the law on moving fish.

All transfers of fish need to be approved by Environment Agency officers, who may assess the suitability of the proposed new habitat and in certain circumstances may also check the fish for disease.

Mr Littlewood said: "Agency fisheries officers are more than happy to advise people about the suitability of fish for their waters and about the movement procedures.

"However, we will seek to prosecute anybody moving fish illegally, in order to protect the health of the region's fish and fisheries."

Updated: 08:53 Thursday, July 17, 2003