THOUSANDS of fish have been killed after raw sewage spilled into a water course at Pocklington.
Trout, bream and other coarse fish were today spotted floating on the surface of a one-mile stretch of Pocklington Beck and Canal - an area popular with anglers.
"This is a tragic and unnecessary loss of life and it will take years for the river to recover," said Environment Agency spokesman Pete Stevenson.
"There is a picnic spot at the head of Pocklington Canal and we would urge families to avoid playing near the water until the problem has been rectified."
Yorkshire Water said the pollution happened after a combined sewer overflow became blocked by sanitary items, and this had now been cleared.
It said there would be no impact on drinking water taken from the River Derwent at Elvington, downstream of the canal.
The agency said that sewage used up oxygen in rivers, which could cause fish to die.
Updated: 14:08 Monday, June 02, 2003
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