Millions of illegal invasive fish take over pond in quiet village in Kent

Watch the video to find out more about the illegal fish that's invaded from Europe

An invasive and illegal type of fish rarely seen in the UK has caused havoc in a quiet village in Kent.

Millions of Prussian Carp were living in the pond of Matfield close to Tunbridge Wells which meant it had to be emptied leading to the loss of other fishes.

Native to Central and Eastern Europe, the Prussian Carp can easily reproduce and quickly threaten other fish.

How it got into the pond is a mystery but the discovery caused a difficult few days for the teams told by the Environment Agency to clear everything out.

The illegal Prussian carp Credit: Brenchley and Matfield Parish Council

Pond guardian Richard Groves said, "We’re talking millions and literally when we done the netting we couldn’t actually get rid of all of them.

"For us, it wasn’t a very nice day, because obviously we’ve been told to eradicate all the fish which is the last thing we wanted to do.

"That was difficult and for the guys on site that was quite, not emotional, but it wasn’t nice."

Common fish like roach and rudd will likely be placed in the water as part of the restoration work that's been taking place.

Councillor Jonathan Buttery, who is chair of Brentley and Matfield Parish Council explains how important the pond is

There's been some debate online on whether Pike should be introduced but that probably won't happen, according to the village's parish council.

Councillor Jonathan Buttery, who is chair of Brentley and Matfield Parish Council said, "It's unlikely at the moment.

"There are the concerns expressed about what the Pike might do with ducklings and and some of the smaller fish. So at least at this stage, we know that they will not be putting Pike here.

"It's been an expensive task. The total cost has been about £20,000. Most of that has met by the by the council, which is an unexpected cost, and quite a feat for a parish council. It's a large part of our annual budget."

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