Dead fish floating in West Midlands canal that was poisoned
Dead fish have been pictured floating in a West Midlands canal that has been poisoned by a deadly toxic chemical spillage.
Walsall Council declared a major incident as the Environment Agency tested the water in a 12-mile stretch of canal networks and towpaths for sodium cyanide and other chemicals.
Dozens of deceased silver fish can be seen floating in this affected area – which the public has been warned to avoid as a precautionary measure.
The council warned that there is a potential serious health risk for people who have had direct physical contact with the contaminated water.
Exposure to sodium cyanide can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion, changes in heart rate and loss of consciousness, according to the agency.
The UK Health Security Agency describes the chemical as ‘white crystal like solids with a faint almond colour’ that is used in industry for metal cleaning, plating, extraction and photography.
Dozens of deceased fish can be seen floating in this affected area in Walsall – which the public has been warned to avoid as a precautionary measure
Workers monitor the impact on wildlife as the Environment Agency tested the water in a 12-mile stretch of canal networks and towpaths for sodium cyanide and other chemicals
Walsall Council are asking the public to avoid an extended area of the canal and towpaths from the Walsall lock flight to the lock flights at Rushall, Ryders Green and Perry Barr as a precautionary measure
The spillage, which was discovered on Monday, had gone directly into a stretch of the canal from Spinks Bridge, Walsall, down to Birchills Street Bridge.
Residents in the area expressed their frustration and anger upon hearing the news, raising concerns about the damage the chemical will cause to the local area.
Martyn Lever told the Express & Star: ‘We use the canal all the time for leisure, recreation and we walk the dog along there, plus I volunteer litter picking along there and we try to keep the area as clean and tidy as we can.
‘When you see something like this, standing on the bridge and seeing dead fish on the top, it’s a horrible thing to see and the thing is that two days ago, it was fine, but we saw the pollution yesterday morning and it seems like it was allowed to happen.
‘We can’t do anything at the moment as we’ve heard it might be cyanide and I’ve heard that dead fish have been seen as far down as Walsall town centre.’
The canal was closed off on Wednesday morning, with several police cars and members of the Canals and Rivers Trust at the scene.
Another local said: ‘I saw a lot of police outside during the night and wondered what was going on as they wouldn’t tell me anything and I’ve only found out this morning.
‘It’s concerning that this has happened and I know a lot of people who go down and walk on the canal path, so I hope they can get this cleared up quickly.’
The spillage, which was discovered on Monday, had gone directly into a stretch of the canal from Spinks Bridge, Walsall, down to Birchills Street Bridge
The canal was closed off on Wednesday morning, with several police cars and members of the Canals and Rivers Trust at the scene
A stretch of canal at Reservoir Place, Walsall, West Midlands, where dead fish can be seen floating on top of the water, is cordoned off by police
In a statement, the council said they were notified of a spillage in Pleck by the Environment Agency on August 12 that had gone directly into the canal
Walsall Council said the Environment Agency was testing the canal water for sodium cyanide and other chemicals in the affected area.
Exposure to the chemical can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion, changes in heart rate and loss of consciousness, according to the agency(file image)
The council added that anyone who has taken any fish from the canal should not eat them while drinking water will not be affected by the incident
In a statement, the council said they were notified of a spillage in Pleck by the Environment Agency on August 12 that had gone directly into the canal
Walsall Council are asking the public to avoid an extended area of the canal and towpaths from the Walsall lock flight to the lock flights at Rushall, Ryders Green and Perry Barr as a precautionary measure.
Anyone exposed to the canal water in the impacted area and feeling unwell has been advised to seek health advice through calling 111 or, in an emergency, 999.
The council added that anyone who has taken any fish from the canal should not eat them while drinking water will not be affected by the incident.
Ingesting cyanide salts, which can dissolve in water, releases cyanide into the body, the agency’s website states.
Councillor Garry Perry, leader of Walsall Council, said: ‘Our priority is the safety of our residents.
‘I share their concerns and hope to see this incident resolved as soon as possible.
‘We are working closely with our partners to manage this situation which has been declared a major incident.
‘For your own safety please avoid this area of the canal and its towpaths.’
Multiple agencies including West Midlands Police and Fire services, the Canal and Rivers Trust, Severn Trent Water, Walsall and Sandwell councils and the Environment Agency are responding to the incident, Walsall Council added.
