RESIDENTS are demanding immediate action to clear a pond full of 30 dead fish, as they say a pond in Reading has become 'desperately' neglected.
Many who live near Prospect Park pond in Reading have complained of a 'horrendous' stench of rotting fish, which are currently floating on top of the water.
Villagers are also upset by rubbish strewn across the area and fallen branches, which they say urgently need clearing for health and safety reasons.
The fish, said to be carp, began dying in about July.
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It is believed by residents that the fish died because of low oxygen levels due to overgrowth of duckweed in the water, which can cause problems for aquatic life.
Fay Triggs, 60, of Compton Avenue, has complained to Reading Borough Council, who own the pond inside the park, on several occasions.
She claims no action has been taken, despite the message being passed on to their parks team.
She said: "Myself and my husband walk our dog most days in Prospect Park and noticed the green overgrowth in the pond in July. By the end of July, there were dead fish starting to appear on the surface of the pond.
"I've now contacted the council on numerous occasions. The smell from the decaying fish is now horrendous and surely a health hazard to both humans and wildlife.
"In my opinion, I think action is now needed to remove all the dead fish, rubbish and fallen tree branches and maybe cut back the existing tree branches and add aquatic plants to improve the water quality and circulation."
Mrs Triggs called the state of the pond a 'disgrace', and has made calls for the council to carry out more regular checks.
Adam Mackowski, 47, of Wantage Road, said after seeing pictures of the dead carp posted to social media, he visited the pond himself as he became concerned.
He said he is 'angry' that the pond has become so neglected.
Mr Mackowski said: "There is a lot of dead carp floating on the surface and a really thick bloom, potentially from the heatwaves we've been having.
"It's really disgraceful. Not long ago, it was stated at Reading's best-loved park but the state that Reading Borough Council has left that pond in is really bad.
"I'm very angry because a lot of that park has a lot of sentimental value to me. When I was a kid, I used to go to Prospect Park with my late dad and had a lot of memories of when that park and pond was full of big fish. You even used to get coy carp in there as well.
"You can't let everything decline to the point you've got dead rotting fish everywhere.
"There is a huge amount of rats there as well and birds are keeping away from the water."
Mr Mackowski has appealed for routine maintenance to be undertaken every six months for the pond's upkeep.
He said: "I can see there are a lot of keen people who would want to assist, but at this particular point, there is thick overgrowth there and rotting fish, and that obviously needs specialists to get in there.
"Pumps are needed in the pond to oxygenate it and treat that excess algae."
A spokesman for Reading Borough Council said: "We understand people’s concerns about the condition of Prospect Park pond following the sustained period of hot, dry weather, and the council has been taking action to deal with the issue.
"The council contacted the Environment Agency about low water levels and loss of fish in the pond in late August, but they were unable to assist due to similar incidents occurring across the country.
"We then gained permission from Thames Water for the fire service to top up the pond from a nearby hydrant over two days to try to keep fish alive. This brought the level up to about half its normal depth.
"The council has collected the dead fish it can from land and is now looking to use a boat to go out and recover the remaining fish.
"Warm weather has boosted its growth but as the pond naturally refills over the autumn and winter, we will continue to monitor the extent of the duckweed and take action if considered necessary."
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