A new survey has revealed that the quality of rivers in Sussex is improving.

An Environment Agency study on eels has shown that the level of pollutants in the county's rivers has dropped.

Eels populations have dwindled by up to 90 per cent in the last five years. The spread of disease, loss of habitat and risk from pollutants have all caused problems for eels in Sussex.

In previous studies, toxic contaminants have been found in the tissue of eels.

But now the Environment Agency's Ecological Appraisal team has carried out studies that show, in the last ten years, toxic levels have now halved in eels living in rivers in Sussex.

Ecologist Dr John Foster said: "This is great news. It shows that levels of these environmentally damaging substances are decreasing in our aquatic environment. The reduction of toxic contaminants in eels is a direct result of a ban on the use of chlorinated organic pesticides.

"This not only benefits eels but also those animals that rely on them for food, like otters and heron."