River Lea oil spill: Wildlife affected as huge amounts of pollution released into water

The Guardian Series understands an industrial quantity of oil dumped into a drain last week in north London has since made its way into the River Lea.

Oil has now spread, contaminating the river from Picketts Lock in Edmonton, through Walthamstow and Leyton to the edge of the Olympic Park in Stratford.

Wildlife has also been affected by the spill, with multiple sightings of water birds covered in oil being made along the river in the past week.

The Environment Agency said it planned to complete the process of clearing up the contamination by the end of the week.

A spokesman said: “Environment Agency officers have been dealing with the pollution incident in the River Lea since it was first reported last week.

“Our officers work 24/7 to protect people and wildlife from pollution incidents and have been working closely with the Canal & River Trust and a specialist contractor to identify the source of the pollution and clear the spillage.

Oil on the River Lea this week (pic: Sarah Nicholas)

“The clear up process will continue over the next few days and we will continue to monitor the river for any lasting environmental damage.

“We are thankful to the members of the public for reporting the issue and will encourage everyone to report pollution incidents to our hotline.”

The recently-opened Walthamstow Wetlands nature reserve, which is closely flanked by the River Lea, appears to have avoided any contamination.

A spokesman did however say there has been multiple sightings on the reserve of birds suffering from exposure to the oil.

“While we have seen a few birds that have been exposed to oil, the exposure has happened off site, and they have then flown into the nature reserve”, the spokesman added.

“We can confirm that we have not seen any sign of oil pollution within Walthamstow Wetlands, other than on these few birds.”

To report a pollution incident to the Environment Agency, call: 0800 807060.