RIVERS in the borough should be cleaned up by the Environment Agency so fish can survive, according to a councillor.

Councillor Jayne Buckland, who sits on Enfield Council’s environment scrutiny panel, said a report by university researchers that showed tributaries to the River Lea do not contain enough oxygen to support fish was worrying.

The study commissioned by environmental charity Thames21 tested water in the Pymmes Brook in Fore Street and the Salmons Brook in Enfield Chase.

Cllr Buckland said: “I have lived in this borough all my life and as a child I remember playing in the Pymmes Brook in Bush Hill Park.

“I was soon told to get out of there by a nearby resident who said it was far too polluted and dangerous.

“It’s been like this for years and the Environment Agency need to take this seriously and improve the quality of the water so we can have our fish back.”

After the charity gave a presentation on the issue to the panel last month, councillors agreed to explore how drainage misconnections in the borough might be contributing to pollution.

The Love the Lea campaign has been started by the group to highlight the problem and find out where the pollution is coming from.