Fresh concerns have been raised about the health of a London waterway after footage shared online appeared to show another oil spill in the River Wandle.
The latest incident comes just weeks after a major oil spill in February, when 4,000 litres of diesel leaked from a Croydon bus garage into the river.
Video footage taken by a dog walker on April 3 in Poulter Park, near Mitcham Junction, appears to show oil or fuel floating downstream in the river.
It was brought to the attention of MP Bobby Dean who has issued an urgent call for pollution monitoring of the river, as well as improvements to infrastructure.
Local residents took to the comments to label it an “outrage” and “disgrace” with one person saying- it is “amazing how there are any fish or wildlife still alive in there.”
Initial inspections by the Environment Agency suggest the spill was short in duration, Mr Dean said, however, its impact remains unclear.
He said the recurrence of such events has prompted serious questions about the effectiveness of existing pollution controls and the urgent need for better infrastructure.
The MP for Carshalton and Wallington said: “Since residents made me aware of the spill, I’ve been in contact with the Environment Agency, local organisations on the ground and other key bodies to try and establish the cause and scale of the incident.“
“While it appears to be smaller than the environmental disaster we saw in February, the truth is we simply don’t know the full extent of the spill.“
“What is clear is that this reinforces the vulnerability of the Wandle and the urgent need for independent pollution monitoring alongside better infrastructure.”
The Wandle, which is home to an array of wildlife including kingfishers and grey herons, was once known as one of the cleanest rivers in London, famous for its trout fishing.
In the 20th century, pollution severely damaged the river, but restoration efforts have significantly improved its water quality and biodiversity.
However, Mr Dean said the spill in February had “undone decades of work by hundreds of volunteers who have helped restore the Wandle from an ecologically dead river to a thriving ecosystem.”
An investigation into the oil spill in February is ongoing.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed specialist officers had been out at the River Wandle today following reports of oil pollution and they found no evidence of environmental harm or affected wildlife.
They do not believe this oil is related to the spill in February that the Environment Agency continues to investigate.
