THOUSANDS of fish and other marine animals were left dead after pollution spilled into a canal.

Locals living by the Booth Lane stretch of the Trent and Mersey Canal were horrified to discover dead and dying fish floating on the canal last Thursday.

Middlewich resident and wild animal expert Lena Porter, who works at Lower Moss Wood animal sanctuary in Knutsford, was alerted to the disaster on Monday morning.

"There are just hundreds and hundreds of fish just lying there dead and dying, some of them are struggling and wriggling around trying to get air.

"They will all just die, it's awful. If you saw them it would make you feel sick."

The Environment Agency is now warning people to stay away from the area.

Environment officer Andy Jobson said: "We can confirm that approximately 1,000 fish have been found dead in the Booth Lane area of the Trent and Mersey canal. We believe this is as a result of a pollution incident which occurred last week.

"British Waterways are aware of the situation and are responsible for removing the dead fish from the site.

"In the meantime, we would advise members of the public to stay away from this area of the canal, do not attempt to pick up the dead fish, and do not allow pets in or near the water."

It is not yet known how the spillage occurred or what the potent substance is, but it is believed it will have a devastating impact on the marine life and birds.

The Environment Agency has taken samples of the polluted water in a bid to find the cause.

Mr Jobson added: "We are currently awaiting the results of tests carried out on water samples to determine both the substance and the source of the pollution."

It is thought that the pollution spillage will have a knock-on effect on the birds that are eating the dead fish.

Lena added: "The seagulls are picking the dead fish up and it's a problem for the swans as well. Anything that eats the fish might be affected.

"I don't know how they will clear it up because they need to find the source first."

Anyone with information about the incident should call the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.