Thousands of fish added to rivers

The salmon seem to be thriving in the river

A cleaned-up river, once described as little better than an open sewer, is now home to thousands of fish.

Environment Agency staff have spent the past few days releasing 14,000 fish into the rivers Churnet, Sow and Trent in Staffordshire.

A spokesman said years of industrial pollution had left all the rivers contaminated but, after clean up work, they are now teeming with life.

The Churnet was restocked with hundreds of baby chub and dace.

Last month, 10,000 young salmon were released into the river.

The River Sow has been re-stocked with barbel while 500 rudd were released into Lady Corner Junior Pool in Stoke-on-Trent. The pool is being developed for training young and disabled anglers.

Another 12,000 fish were released in the River Trent.