RARE great crested newts have had a narrow escape, after last week’s heavy rain polluted a pond only days before they were due to be released there.

Jacqueline and Christopher Ody, of Pinnell Farm, Grittenham, have had trouble with pollution running onto their land from a ditch, for over four years. This time it could have killed thousands of pounds worth of great crested newts, had they been put into the pond as planned.

“We cleaned out our pond not that long ago,” Mrs Ody explained. “We cleaned out all the pollution and muck. The water was crystal clear, the pond was filling up lovely for this year with clean water running off the buildings. It was totally clear until we had that downpour last Thursday. We now have the same black, mucky cow runnings.

“It ran through our field straight down into the pond. It has flooded down the side of the farm. I am sick of it.

“My pond is full of effluent, it looks like oxtail soup. It really is disgusting, it is worse than before.

Mrs Ody believes the pollution is coming from another farm and, despite not being responsible for the ditch, she and her husband had cleaned it of cow runnings, septic tank contents and litter on numerous occasions.

The Environment Agency was called to the farm on Monday to take away a sample of the dirty pond water.

“We were going to restock the pond but we decided not to,” Mrs Ody said.

“She said if any fish were in there, there was no air so they wouldn’t have lived very long.

“Nothing has improved. I am getting sick of this, nothing is being done.

“It costs a lot of money to put fish back in and I am so glad we didn’t.”

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said it is seriously concerned about pollution not being managed properly and effectively. “We have repeatedly advised the farmer to take measures including increasing slurry storage capacity to reduce the risk of polluting.”

“The Environment Agency attended on Monday after receiving reports of pollution - thunderstorms had washed woodchip animal bedding and what we suspect is dilute slur.

“The polluting discharges are contributing to poor water quality over a fairly localised area."