Staffordshire river 'proving a threat to environmental health'

One Staffordshire river could be proving a threat to environmental health, as officials are advising people to keep themselves and their pets away from the waterway.

The Environment Agency has cautioned residents living near the river Trent, which is located between Stoke on Trent and Yoxall, to avoid the area following a recent contamination incident.

Wildlife and domestic animals are particularly at risk due to potentially alarming levels of untreated wastewater and cyanide which have already killed thousands of fish.

Farmers, boaters, anglers, dog walkers and their pets and farm animals are not exempt from the precaution and the Food Standards Agency has also discouraged inhabitants from extracting water from the river.

"Officers are monitoring the situation. We have launched an investigation into the cause of the pollution but we cannot discuss this for legal reasons," stated the agency, which is an executive non-departmental public body responsible to the secretary of state for environment.

Posted by Lauren Steadman