Urgent probe under way after two swans are contaminated in Humber Bank oil incident

Horribly oiled - but still able to fly (photo: Phil Jones)

AN urgent multi-agency investigation is underway following an oil-spill  incident which has hit wildlife on the Humber Bank.

North East Lincolnshire Council’s ecology officer, Rachel Graham, is liaising with her counterpart at neighbouring North Lincolnshire Council to establish the extent of the contamination, its impact and what caused it.

It came to light late on Tuesday of this week when birdwatcher Phil Jones was alerted by a fisherman at Homestead Park in Immingham to the presence of  two "oiled-up" swans.

When he arrived, Phil  was surprised that, despite extensive  contamination of its underbody,  one of the birds was still able to take to the sky, and it flew from the site.

Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue was unable to attend the scene because of other calls on its time, so Phil stayed at the scene for more than four hours to safeguard  the more severely stricken bird from disturbance until a welfare group, Yorkshire Swan Rescue Hospital, was able to take it back to their sanctuary at Selby.   

Distressing sight - the more seriously contaminated bird

What happened to the bird that flew off?

Last Thursday, two days after the alert, it was detected, at Cleethorpes Boating Lake. by another birder, Nick Coulbeck, who alerted North East Lincolnshire Council and the Beach Safety team which watched over the bird until Yorkshire Swan Rescue could collect it.

Both birds have been undergoing a clean-up to remove the oil.

What has been the source of the oil?

Phil believes it is a drain outfall not far from the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust's Killingholme Haven nature reserve.

Says he: "There is a constant flow of petroleum film on the water coming out - and it smells that way, too.   

"I couldn't find any evidence of oil on the drain side or on the riverbank, and my judgement is that this is not where the oil problem lies.  

"If that petroleum film flow is normal and constant, it represents significant ongoing  pollution entering the river to the potential detriment of waterbirds and other aquatic wildlife."  

Anglian Water and the Humber ports authority are also making inquiries as is the Environment Agency which has logged the incident as  Number 02130427.

Rescued at Cleethorpes Boating Lake - and now under specialist care