A MYSTERY detergent which has contaminated a river and killed hundreds of fish is being investigated by the Environment Agency.

Initial reports of a discharge killing fish in the Ebbw River at Crumlin were received by the agency on Wednesday.

Two industrial sites, each with a large number of units, have drainage systems linking to the river.

A spokesman for the agency said: "We have appealed to companies based at Croespenmaen and Pen y Fan industrial estates to check their systems for blockages or anything that may have caused this discharge and to contact us if a problem is found."

The agency is carrying out a biological survey and carcass count to determine the full extent of the pollution.

Samples of fish, including trout and salmon, have been sent for analysis and the agency's investigations are continuing.

Crumlin councillor Keith Lloyd said: "Only recently we were commenting in a meeting in Crumlin on how clean the river was and how well stocked it was with trout, so this is a disaster really.

"The river used to be very dirty when the colliery and steelworks were open and there has been a lot of operations since the closures to clean the river up.

"Once something like this happens it takes a long time to re-stock the river and get it back to the standard it was before, so it is really upsetting."

Anyone with any information on this incident should call 24 hour freephone number 0800 807060.

taken from the south wales argus http://www.thisisgwent.co.uk/gwent/news/NEWS9.html