Concerns over what long term damage could be from accidental oil spill in Rutland

The Wildlife Trust that covers Rutland is urging owners of domestic heating oil tanks to regularly check them for leaks to prevent oil spills.

Over 50 dead fish have been found near Oakham.

It's after an accidental oil spill in Egleton was spotted last week causing damage to local wildlife near to Rutland Water.

Tim Sexton is the Senior Species and Recording Officer from Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, tells us how they've been clearing up the spillage:

"We've been working to try and stem the flow of the oil in the first case.

"And then soak up as much of the oil that had made it through to the protected part of the nature reserve"

Residents in Egleton village near Oakham raised the alarm after seeing oil in the brook, which flows directly into the Nature Reserve.

Anglian Water sent out an emergency response crew, who identified the source as a leakage from a residential heating tank that had released hundreds of litres of heating oil into the brook.

Tim Sexton, Senior Species and Recording Officer from Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust has praised Anglian Water on their response saying,

“Thanks to swift action from Anglian Water much of the spill was contained before reaching the Nature Reserve. However, a significant quantity of oil has made its way into the protected Nature Reserve and SSSI, which we have been working to clean up.”

“We are yet to see the full consequences of this terrible accident on the wildlife and will be closely monitoring the situation with both Anglian Water and the Environment Agency,"

The public is being urged to regularly check domestic oil tanks for leaks and ensure they are well-maintained to prevent similar environmental incidents.

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