ANGLERS say they are heartbroken after thousands of fish were killed at a popular East Yorkshire fishing spot.

Raw sewage entered Pocklington Beck at West Green, Pocklington, polluting a one-mile stretch of water, which flows into Pocklington Canal. The incident occurred after a combined sewer overflow was blocked by sanitary products.

A member of the public alerted the Environment Agency to the situation on Monday when they saw dead fish floating on the surface of the water.

Bob Hutchinson, secretary of the York and District Amalgamation of Anglers, which rents a nine-mile stretch of the canal for angling, said the pollution was a major blow for anglers who enjoy fishing at the spot.

He said: "It is a bit heartbreaking from our point of view. We care for the fish and our group is all about the preservation of fish sport and fish habitats."

He said he would inform members of the group that they should not attempt to fish at the beauty spot for at least the next two or three months until the fish supply is re-stocked. British Waterways is currently considering putting a notice up at Canal Head telling anglers not to fish in the canal.

Mr Hutchinson said the incident was particularly upsetting as the canal had only just been re-stocked with a new supply of fish, including trout, bream, perch and roach earlier this year after British Waterways carried out a de-silting scheme on the canal.

He added that the York and District Amalgamation of Anglers were currently trying to re-negotiate their lease of the river from British Waterways, which is up for renewal at the end of this month.

The dead fish were removed from the canal on Monday by officers from the Environment Agency. They installed an aerator to get oxygen back into the water and sent the fish to York for post-mortem examinations.

Updated: 08:43 Friday, June 06, 2003