Oil spill kills wildlife at Rutland Water near Peterborough

Wildlife was killed when oil leaked into a brook at popular beauty spot and wildlife reserve Rutland Water.

The reserve is just a short drive from Peterborough – and the alarm was raised last week, when residents saw the oil in the brook.

Anglian Water immediately dispatched an emergency response crew, who identified the source as a leakage from a residential heating tank that had released hundreds of litres of heating oil into the brook.

Teams from Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, Anglian Water, and the Environment Agency are currently working on the clean-up operation.

Tim Sexton, Senior Species and Recording Officer from Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust has praised Anglian Water on their response saying: “Thanks to swift action from Anglian Water much of the spill was contained before reaching the Nature Reserve. However, a significant quantity of oil has made its way into the protected Nature Reserve and SSSI, which we have been working to clean up.

“We are yet to see the full consequences of this terrible accident on the wildlife and will be closely monitoring the situation with both Anglian Water and the Environment Agency.”

A stark warning has been issued to owners of domestic heating oil tanks. Residents are being urged to regularly check domestic oil tanks for leaks and ensure they are well-maintained to prevent similar environmental incidents.

Authorities continue to monitor the area to assess any long-term impact on the ecosystem and will provide further updates as necessary.