Fish killed by pollution in river

An unknown pollutant has killed every fish in a four-mile stretch of river, the Environment Agency has said.

Hundreds of dead trout were found washed up in the Pill River in West Somerset on Sunday.

An agency spokesman said it was feared pesticide or sheep-dip had got into the water. Agency officers have been at the site taking water samples.

The casualties, which had been dead for two to three days, included some bullheads as well as trout.

Samples have been sent to a government laboratory near Exeter and agency officials will visit local farms as part of the ongoing investigation.

Agency spokesman Jim Grundy said: "Judging from the number of fish killed, we believe it was some kind of toxic chemical."