Update-VIDEO AND PICTURES: Major swan rescue after oil leak in River Kennet

The Environment Agency [EA] drafted in police officers after an unwanted 'diesel like' substance leaked from an industrial area in south Reading, polluting the water.

Wendy Hermon, member of Swan Support, was on hand to help rescue the birds before they swallowed too much of the contaminated water.

She said: "We are going to round them all up in boats and take them off the water.

The most important thing is to get them out of the water before they ingest too much.

"It looks like there is a sheet of oil covering all the water, it looks like diesel oil.

"It looks like when you drop some petrol on to water.

"The swans are in the danger zone.Our aim is to get another canoe into the river and guide them down to the nearby lock.

“Then we can shut the gates and pull them out of the water. It’s not ideal if we have to pull them out over the fence. We will be here for hours.

“It’s not the damage to the bodies we are worried about it’s what happens if they ingest the pollution. We don’t know how it started but we need to get them out.”

Absorbent booms were being thrown into the darkened water this afternoon and rescuers from Swan Support asked residents to look out for any distressed swans in the area.

An EA spokesman said: "The Environment Agency have received numerous calls today regarding oil in the River Kennet in Reading.

"We can confirm that around 5.5km of the river has been affected by oil and our Environment Officers are currently on site investigating this incident.

"Every effort is being made to find the source of this pollution which we believe to have originated in the industrial areas in south Reading. Environment Agency are working with the Police, Thames Water and Swan Support to minimise the impact of this pollution incident.

"The Environment Agency are also deploying oil absorbent booms in the Foudry Brook to remediate the situation. If you see a swan in distress call Swan Support on 07968 868172."