AN ENVIRONMENTAL investigation has been launched after it was claimed developers drained a pond without removing any of its wildlife.

Several residents complained they could see fish dying on the banks of the pond at Shortwood Business Park as the water levels dropped on Tuesday.

Dave Peak of Shortwood Villas said many of his neighbours were irate at how it had been emptied. He said: "It is absolutely horrendous from an environmental point of view. All the fish have been left at the bottom.

"They have not transferred any of the wildlife when they should have done. They just put a pump in and that was it.

"I think it's awful the way these particular developers have ridden rough-shot over the residents." One woman, who asked not to be named, called the council to investigate what was happening to the wildlife.

She said: "I went across to look at it on Tuesday night and it was so low part of it had turned into sludge with fish fighting for their lives. They finished up on the bank and ended up dead. It's inhumane, it's horrible.

Independent Coun Steve Sylvester said he had received several calls from worried onlookers. He said: "I have had a lot of phone calls from people who were shocked at what they saw and I'm disgusted myself to be honest. If I hadn't have been working I would have gone down their myself and told them what I thought.

"There's lots of wildlife in the pond including frogs and newts which are spawning at this time of year. It's wrong if they haven't been moved." Now Steve has vowed to look into the correct environmental procedures to ensure rules have not been broken.

And cabinet spokesman for development, Bill Newman, said the matter was under investigation. He said: "We have been made aware of the public concerns about the pond being emptied and are currently looking into the situation." Site developers William Sanders Partnership were unavailable to comment.