POLICE are investigating after environmental vandals dumped 110 gallons of oil into a stream.

A 200-metre stretch of Gatwick Stream, in Crawley, turned a murky black after oil, including creosote and bitumen, was deliberately diverted from vats into the water yesterday.

More than 20 firefighters set up dams across the stream and battled for several hours to stop the substance spreading and poisoning water supplies.

Divisional fire officer Simon Webb said it would take a while before the environmental damage could be fully assessed.

He said: "It's fair to say it was deliberate. Hopefully we will have

contained the environmental damage but it could have been disastrous had we not got there as soon as we had. Lots of wildlife could have been killed and it still might.

"We stopped it reaching the River Mole, which leads to the Thames and drinking water systems.

"The main questions are why the tanks were left with a load of oil in them and why someone then went in there and opened the taps."

Three fire crews from Crawley and Horley, a specialist unit from Bognor Regis, police and representatives from the Environment Agency went to the scene after residents raised the alarm at about 1pm.

Vandals had opened the taps of two 1,000

gallon vats at the site of the old Crawley Abattoir, in Steers Lane, Tinsley Green, and used guttering to channel oil into the water.

Firefighters set up three dams further down the stream and managed to stop most of the liquid spreading further. Contractors from the Environment Agency used special equipment to suck up the substance.

An agency spokesman said: "We have contained it and it should then be quite easy to suction off. We are quite lucky we got there in time. Time is the key in all of this and we are not anticipating

significant environmental damage."

But local resident Linda Garlick, 52, said she had seen wildlife disappear over the years after a series of incidents when the stream was polluted.

She said: "This morning there was an almighty stink when I was in the garden picking apples. I have lived here since 1972 and stuff has been dumped into the river several times.

"We used to see fish in the river when we first moved here but not any more."

Police are trying to find out who owns the vats.

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