Shrewsbury River Severn oil slick baffles experts

Environment Agency bosses admitted today they are still stumped about the cause of a mystery oil slick spotted in the River Severn last week. Four calls were made reporting an oily film in the water in the Castlefields area.

It was spotted near the English Bridge and one member of the public stated that the substance was visible for three-quarters of mile.

Agency officers arrived at the scene on Friday in an attempt to trace the source but were unable to discover what had caused it.

Serena Balsdon, a spokesman for the Environment Agency, said: "The officers inspecting the river on Friday confirmed there was a thin film of oil, but were unable to trace where it had come from. The oil was so thin a meaningful sample could not be taken."

She added there had been no sign of harm to wildlife or fish, meaning no action was taken to remove the substance.

"Our officers went out again on Saturday morning to see if there was a new supply which would indicate illegal tipping but there was no evidence of this," she said.

A member of the public also spotted a slick measuring around 50m by 20m near the Castle Bridge in Shrewsbury. Environment Agency officers investigated but did not manage to discover its source.