'Revived' rivers get fresh fish

Rivers are being restocked with thousands of fish

Thousands of fish are being introduced into rivers in north-east England that have been brought back to life after years of pollution.

The Environment Agency is carrying out the operation in areas of County Durham and Northumberland.

Croxdale Beck and the River Team in County Durham and parts of the River Tyne are among the first to be treated.

About 26,000 roach and dace will be introduced during the operation later this month.

Fisheries specialist Phil Rippon said: "We hope that restocking will give them a new lease of life.

"Our work will hopefully mean there will now be enough of the same species to breed."

Fish cannot swim into Croxdale Beck because of a waterfall at the mouth of the watercourse, and freshwater fish like roach and dace cannot get into the Team because it flows straight into the saltwater Tyne estuary, where they cannot survive.

Officers will be restocking the Tyne on 13 November and Croxdale and the Team on 22 November.

The fish are a year old and come from the Environment Agency's Leyland hatchery in Lancashire.