River Nene: Investigation as mysterious pollution kills more than 100,000 fish in Peterborough river

The source of pollution that killed an estimated 100,000 fish in Peterborough last week remains a mystery, as environmental regulators continue to investigate.

An unknown substance entered the River Nene at Goldie Meadows, near Ferry Meadows, early last week, causing devastation to wildlife in the area. National World's sister title, the Peterborough Telegraph, reports that locals were initially warned to keep away, with an estimated 100,000 fish wiped out.

The Environmental Agency sent samples away for testing to learn more about the substance, and issued an appeal for anyone who might have seen "suspicious" activity on the river. As of this week, the Environment Agency is still investigating what happened to cause the disaster.

A spokesperson for the agency told the Telegraph: “Environment Agency officers are still on site monitoring the situation and are continuing to investigate the nature and the source of the substance that has polluted the river.

“The pollution has passed through, and we are no longer advising people to keep away from the water. We continue to work with Nene Park Trust on improvements to Ferry Meadows," they continued. “We encourage members of the public to report environmental incidents to us on our free 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”

Last week, the agency said testing of water samples from the river was being fast-tracked as part of the investigation. There has been no indication wildlife away from the site have been impacted by the pollution, and the agency was able to confirm it was not sewage. A spokesperson for Nene Park Trust said they were working side by side with the Environment Agency following the incident – although there was not one thing in particular that was being looked at.

The Environment Agency initially launched a social media appeal for anyone who saw any suspicious activity on Sunday (December 10) or Monday (December 11) on this part of the river, asking them to come forwards and call 0800 80 70 60.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, a spokesperson wrote: “A serious water pollution incident this week near Ferry Meadows, Nene Park #Peterborough, has led to thousands of fish deaths. We are investigating but if you can help please get in touch."