A SEWAGE leak into London Colney's Low Bell Lake which killed dozens of fish was "just waiting to happen" a local conservation group has said.

On Saturday morning fishermen noticed several fish in distress on the surface of the lake and called out the Environment Agency to nvestigate.

It was not until Sunday that the agency managed to trace the leak back to a blocked sewage pipe leading from the Riverside industrial estate.

Thames Water fixed the blockage but many fish had already died.

Ken Peak of London Colney Village Concern went down to the lake on Monday to take some of the fish that had died out of the water.

A frustrated Mr Peak said: "We are just lucky this was not a damn sight worse. Village Concern has been arguing for years that an incident like this was just waiting to happen "The River Colne is being neglected and has been in decline for some time. Just last week I attended a meeting of St Albans District Council to ask them for something to be done about the state of the river and the lake.

"We need the river to be cleared, we need an evaluation and improvements done to the pipework leading into the river, and we need it done now while this incident has highlighted the problem."

Dave Porter of the Barnet and District Angling Club first reported the leak. He said: "The fish that we saw in distress included carp, bream, chub, silverfish and pike.

"This is not something that happens often, but once is far too much."

A spokesman from the Environment Agency which is responsible for keeping rivers and lakes clean said: "An investigation is currently being carried out into this incident and any appropriate action will depend upon its outcome.

"As far as we are concerned this was not a major incident. The oxygen levels in the water are returning to normal but we will monitor the situation."