Booms fitted on River Avon after oil spill

The River Avon in Tewkesbury is currently in the process of being cleaned up after a break in at a local mill led to a large amount of oil entering the water course.

The river was polluted after oil from a stolen machine was allowed to enter a drain nearby. The Environment Agency was called to the spill to try to minimise the damage caused. They placed a boom across the river to contain and absorb the spilled oil.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency, Serena Balsbon, stated:

"We would advise any owners of industrial property, operational or derelict, to review their pollution plans and security arrangements.

"The current high value of scrap encourages these types of incidents and it is often cheaper and always better for the environment to take preventive action, rather than clean up the aftermath."

The owners of the derelict building where the theft was from have not yet commented on the spill.