Work started this week to make it easier for wild fish to swim through the town of Marlborough.

There are not as many wild fish in the River Kennet as experts think there should be, and one reason for this is that fish can’t access the different habitats they need.

Over the years people have built dams, weirs and mills which make it impossible for fish to swim freely along the river’s length, and this is one reason for their decline.

A year ago ARK completed a fish pass in Marlborough at Town Mill, to let fish move along the main river. The second smaller pass being built this week will allow fish to move from the mill pool by Cooper’s Meadow, back up to the main channel.

The River Kennet at Marlborough is home to wild brown trout, grayling, bullheads and brook lamprey. ARK volunteer Don Harris said: "Section by section we are opening up the river again to give wild fish a better chance to thrive."

The work is being completed by contractors with the help of volunteers from Action for the River Kennet. It is funded by DEFRA’s Catchment Restoration Fund, which is administered by the Environment Agency.

The new channel is being dug across land belonging to Wiltshire Council.

Work is expected to take around one week and is being done in the Autumn when river levels are usually at their lowest.