A COMPANY responsible for pollution which has put thousands of fish at risk could face a hefty bill for the clean-up operation.

A spill of sugar solution into the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Grimshaw Park, Blackburn, left fish fighting for breath as bacteria caused by the sugar sapped oxygen from the water.

The Environment Agency, British Waterways and the fire brigade have been working round the clock, pumping oxygen back into the canal, to try to save as many fish as possible.

The company which was the source of the pollution has been traced and has admitted liability. No decision has been taken on whether it will be prosecuted.

But the Environment Agency say the firm - which has not been identified - could face the costs of the rescue operation. Steve Whittam from the agency's fisheries department said: "We have discovered where it came from and the polluter has admitted liability.

"Our options range from a full prosecution down to the bare minimum of a formal caution.

"Obviously an operation like this is not cheap. The bill will certainly run into thousands. Recharging the cost of the operation to the polluter is one of the options."

A spokesman at the agency's North West headquarters in Warrington said: "We have seven aerators and some pumps at the canal at the moment to put oxygen back into the water. We could be there for another 24 or even 48 hours.

"There is still a big problem. At least 50 fish had died by Friday and that number has risen since then. It will certainly be into the hundreds by now and there are many more thousands still at risk.

"The fish are very weak because of the lack of oxygen but we are doing all we can and are still hopeful of saving many of those at risk."

He said the pollution was spreading down the canal towards Wigan, though becoming more diluted as it got further from the source.

He added it would be normal practice for the agency to recover the cost of the clean-up from the person or company responsible.

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