Anglian Water has admitted responsibility for polluting a stretch of water that left every fish within a 3km area dead.

The problems earlier this week that affected the Stour Brook in Haverhill have been blamed on sewage entering the brook from the Haverhill water recycling centre.

The Environment Agency say 2,000 larger fish and many thousands more smaller fish died as a result of the incident due to the affect the sewage had on the brook’s oxygen levels, which have now returned to normal.

A spokesman from Anglian Water said they “deeply regretted” the incident, adding: “We take our environmental responsibilities incredibly seriously.

“We are doing everything we can to remedy this situation, and will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days so we can intervene immediately if we have to.

“We are working closely with the Environment Agency to assess the situation, and to protect and restore the brook. This includes using aerators which increase oxygen levels in the water, to support wildlife.”