Vandals pollute town lake

ENVIRONMENT Agency officers moved in on Tuesday to have two industrial-size wheelie-bins removed from the Pells Lake at Lewes.

The bins, full of rubbish, had earlier been pushed into the lake by vandals.

Steps are also being taken to have other debris, including beer cans, traffic cones and lumps of wood, taken out of the waters which are said be still plentifully stocked with roach, carp and perch.

Agency fisheries officer Danial Hurford said there had been no fish deaths as a result of the mindless behaviour, but this sort of vandalism could not be tolerated.

Owners of such wheelie- bins would be asked to chain them up.

Lewes Town Council recently took over the lake and its environs from the district council.

Said Mayor, Cllr John Webber: 'We are constantly vetting the situation and getting jobs done but it is hard to keep pace with the damage.

'The Pells Lake does look a wreck at the moment. We try and improve its appearance, and look what happens.

The Environment Agency, with help from the district and town councils, has prepared a 20,000 programme for the long-term improvement of the lake and its environment.

They are investigating the problem of the fluctuating water levels of the lake extremely low at the moment.

Hazel hurdles are being put around the three lake islands, replacing picket fencing, to give nesting ducks a chance to escape marauding swans.

And Danial Hurford is in the process of installing a hazel fringe around the islands which will become a reed and iris bed to boost the general ecology of the area.