Sewage spill spoils nature park

The nature reserve may be closed over the summer for the clean-up

A nature reserve has been shut after waterways in the wooded area were contaminated by sewage which killed fish and polluted a lake.

All 250 acres of "The Chase" on the Hampshire border near Newbury may remain shut for the summer while a clean-up takes place.

The National Trust, which owns the popular tourist spot, has called the sewage leak "an environmental tragedy".

Thames Water has begun investigating its sewerage systems in the area.

Toxic leak

The whole eco-system of the infected lake and connecting stream has been devastated, the Environment Agency said.

Environment Agency worker Sally Coble said: "The ammonia is very toxic to the fish, we're actually retrieving the dead ones from the lake at the moment and trying to provide extra oxygen for those fish that are in the water."

The agency has been retrieving dead fish from the reserve since Thursday night.

"At the moment we're bubbling air into the water, to increase the oxygen levels and oxidise the ammonia that's present in the water," she added.