200 dead or dying fish pulled from Hove park pond

Resident Fleur Dawes said she was alerted to the situation in St Ann’s Well Gardens in Hove when a family member visited to pay tribute to a friend who died in childhood.

Fleur said: “As a child she would go to the pond with her friend and look at the fish.

"She came back very upset because had been greeted with a scene of death. Fish could be seen painfully struggling at the surface or floating dead on the surface.”

As well as hundreds of fish killed, Fleur said the “beautiful” pink lily flowers have also died and a strange blue liquid was seen on the surface.

Blue liquid could be seen on the lily pads (Image: Submitted) Fleur said that a pump was installed in the pond in the summer but it broke three months ago and still hasn’t been fixed.

Fleur said: “It means the water has stagnated, leaving all the animals to die.

“A local unhoused man has been doing what he can to restore the pond, but the council has told locals to let them know if they see him interfering with the pond - it seems they want to let the pond die.

“Some have speculated anti-algae chemicals were put in the pond with devastating effects.

“The algae had got out of hand, but the fish could still breathe. All of a sudden, from one day to another, there is this ecocide.

“It’s Brighton, we’re supposed to care about the environment, and we can’t even keep a pond going.”

The council believes a well meaning resident may have added a blue dye solution used to manage algae (Image: Submitted) Councillor Alan Robins, Brighton and Hove City Council cabinet member for sports and recreation, said: “We are aware of the sad death of the fish in St Ann’s Well Gardens and our team worked quickly to remove any fish impacted.

“The area was also closed to the public as soon as we became aware while we investigated.

“Unfortunately, the recent change in weather and drop in pressure de-oxygenated the water. There have been reports of similar incidents across Sussex and Kent, with fish dying as a result of a lack of oxygen.

“We have been attempting to aerate the water using a pump to help oxygen circulate around the pond, but unfortunately it seems a well-meaning resident may have added a blue dye solution used to manage algae and weeds to the water in an effort to help the fish.

“Any intervention in incidents like this must come from an expert.

"Sadly, the solution is only effective when the dose is properly calibrated to the size of the pond. If this is not done, it has the opposite effect of causing organic matter to break down faster, which uses up more oxygen.

“We are doing all we can, but we would ask local residents to please contact us as soon as they notice any problems.”