Up to 400 fish die in Calderstones Park lake during heatwave

Hundreds of fish have died in a lake at a popular city park during soaring temperatures.

Anglers said up to 400 fish have been recovered from the lake at Calderstones Park, Liverpool, having died during the hot weather.

Angler Josh Edwards says about “400 fish have died in the last couple of days at Calderstones” and blamed algae growth “taking all of the oxygen”.

The city council said it had investigated watercourses during the rising temperatures and its lakes team had “used mobile aerators in the lake to introduce more oxygen and improve the water quality” – but Edwards said this had been “too late”.

He said he believed the council “doesn’t have a clue”.

“The algae forms in the water and it’s taking all of the oxygen.

“Carp are bottom feeders so they struggle to get the oxygen they need.”

He added: “One of the fish was believed to be around 30 years old.

“It happens a lot during heatwaves and they bring aerators after the fact but once the fish are dead it’s too late.”

A Liverpool Council spokesperson said: “During periods of hot, dry weather, oxygen levels in bodies of water can lower substantially.

“To combat this, our lakes team have used mobile aerators in the lake to introduce more oxygen and improve the water quality.”