About a tonne of fish are to be evicted from the Kennet and Avon Canal at Devizes today (Tuesday) as British Waterways carry out essential maintenance at Caen Hill.

The organisation claims that an abnormally large number of fish has been flourishing undisturbed in the lock "pounds" - the reservoirs at each lock on the famous Caen Hill flight - for many years.

Feeding fish stir up silt at the bottom of the pounds and this leads to the growth of algae, making the water less suitable for invertebrates like dragonflies and damselflies.

The pounds are being drained for essential maintenance and fish will be removed during this period.

Some will be moved to other canals in Britain, including the Grand Union Canal near London.

It is expected that large quantities of tench, carp, bream, roach, perch, pike and eels will come to light during the work.