Inquiry as dye turns river green

There are no signs of dead fish so it is not thought to be harmful

A dye may have turned the River Trent a bright shade of green, environmental officers have said.

Residents in Stone, Staffordshire, contacted the Environment Agency after the Trent, which flows through the town, turned a different colour.

A spokesman said officers had taken samples from the water and initial indications were that a water-based dye had caused the colour change.

He appealed for anyone who knew who had dumped the dye to contact them.

Residents began contacting the agency on Wednesday evening about the water.

"There are no signs of dead fish or environmental damage and initial indications are that it is harmless," the spokesman said.

But he added that someone must have poured quite a lot of the substance either directly into the water or down a drain which flows into the river for it to turn so green.