STRANDED fish have been rescued from a Herefordshire river after hot weather caused water levels to plunge.

Environment Agency officers worked at sites along the rivers Teme and Redlake that flow through North Herefordshire, Shropshire and Powys, following reports of low water levels and fish being stranded in pools last week.

It is not unusual for some rivers and lakes in fast-responding catchments to dry up quickly during dry spells, an Environment Agency spokesperson said.

Around 100 fish were recovered, including brown trout and juvenile Atlantic salmon and released further downstream on the river Redlake.

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An EA spokesperson said: "The river Teme and river Redlake often run dry in their upper reaches during dry weather, leaving fish stuck in pools. Due to the recent low water flows there were fish stranded, and if left, they would have been lost."

Further rescues are planned this week and Environment Agency officers will be doing regular monitoring of the area and taking appropriate action during the continued spell of dry weather.

Warm weather can often lead to algal blooms or water that is too warm which makes it difficult for fish to breathe. Fish can often be seen gasping for air.

If anyone sees fish in distress, please contact the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.