Contamination of Pymmes Park Lake and Wetlands leads to Swan Emergency Rescue

The Friends of Pymmes Park are absolutely devastated to announce that there is currently an ongoing rescue of our whole swan family to The Swan Sanctuary because they have been severely affected by a deliberate act of lake pollution by untold gallons of cooking oil which has covered our swan family, it was first noticed Christmas Eve that something was very wrong and an email was sent to Cllr Daniel Anderson of Enfield Council as he is The Environment Officer, also others at EC copied in, none have acknowledged or replied to date .

So once again the situation was left to FOPP volunteers to deal with. The Environmental Agency, Thames Water and Thames 21 have all been informed.

A small experienced rescue team from Swan Support who has the necessary equipment to implement the rescue have traveled in from Berkshire and the rescue is ongoing. It is likely other wildfowl will be removed from the lake in the coming days.

We appeal to everyone: never ever pour cooking oil, engine oil, diesel, builders waste, wastewater from carpet shampooers and the like into rainwater/roadside gutter drains as it all ends up untreated in our rivers, and in this case, Pymmes Park Lake. This kind of pollution often leads to a slow and agonising death for the waterfowl.