The government has been forced to apologise in parliament after failing to respond to questions over a pollution incident which killed over 900 fish in Whittlesey.

North East Cambridgeshire MP Steve Barclay spoke in parliament on Thursday (June 4) to once again push for answers on why there has been no prosecutions after a pollution of incident at Kings Dyke in Whittlesey in September 2024.

Over 900 fish were killed in the incident after low oxygen levels, coupled with high ammonia levels were detected.

The incident has been described as a ‘category one incident’ – the most serious- by the Environment Agency.

Over 900 fish were killed in Whittlesey.

placeholder image — Over 900 fish were killed in Whittlesey.

According to the Environment Agency, Anglian Water’s nearby pumping station suffered a pump failure which resulted in sewage being discharged into the water for around 23 hours on Sunday September 22.

Anglian Water confirmed the pump failure but later stated that its storm overflow had worked as permitted on the day and that it had found evidence of an oil slick close to one of its outfalls and high levels of ammonia close to another.

Mr Barclay spoke in parliament to ask for answers over a lack of prosecution following the completion of an Environmental Agency investigation in December.

Mr Barclay again spoke in parliament on Thursday after receiving no response to the concerns raised back then.

He said: “As long ago as September 2024, the Environment Agency was notified of the most serious category of pollution incident, that occurred in Whittlesey.

"Despite raising this in the house in March, when no prosecution occurred following this, the minister promised to write to me. Yet, when no response was received I elevated this to the speaker, after a number of weeks, at the end of April and the department committed to a reply by May 8. We are now a further month on from that and still there has been no reply.

“If the government has changed its policy and is no longer prosecuting the most serious incidents then surely the house should be notified of this or is it that ministers- despite repeated requests- have no idea what is going on in their department?”

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Water and Flooding Emma Hardy MP then stood up to issue an apology for the lack of response.

She said: “It is something I will follow up with immediately with the department and I am very happy to meet him personally within the next couple of weeks.

“It is not acceptable and we will make changes to put it right.”