A pollution event in the River Pool near Bromley has resulted in widespread fish deaths across a three-kilometre stretch of waterway extending from Cator Park to the confluence with the River Ravensbourne. The incident claimed various species including vulnerable European eels alongside more common freshwater fish such as roach, chub, and sticklebacks, though drinking water supplies remained unaffected.

Investigators from the Environment Agency and Thames Water are working to determine the cause whilst implementing immediate mitigation measures, including oxygen aeration systems positioned strategically along the affected stretch. The timing is particularly concerning given that European eels are classified as critically endangered, having experienced a dramatic 95 per cent population decline in their juvenile form since the 1980s.