AN incident like the “horrific” pollution in the St Austell River must not be allowed to happen again, a Cornwall councillor has said.

James Mustoe, who represents the Mevagissey and St Austell Bay division, is seeking assurances that such a “catastrophic incident” will not be repeated.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of fish were killed after liquid lime entered the river, also known as the White River, on Thursday, June 19.

South West Water has confirmed that the chemical, which is used in waste water treatment, entered the river from its Menagwins site in the Pentewan Valley, south of St Austell.

Cllr Mustoe, a Conservative, witnessed dead fish in the river and was contacted about symptoms in pets and also, in some instances, people.

He told the Voice: “I do believe the agencies involved could have been more transparent with what the pollution consisted of and where it came from, in order to help in signposting people with genuine health concerns. From my perspective, this information could have been released on the Friday, rather than waiting until Tuesday or Wednesday to be confirmed.”

Since the incident, Cllr Mustoe has been in regular contact with the Environment Agency, as well as St Austell and Newquay MP Noah Law.

Cllr Mustoe said: “I am calling for an assurance that an incident like this will not happen again. Aside from any legal case and however long it takes to resolve, local people and businesses need confidence as soon as possible that an horrific incident like this will not be allowed to happen again.”

An Environment Agency spokesperson, on Friday, June 27, told the Voice: “South West Water’s confirmation does not change the fact that we still have a live investigation to finish. The results of this investigation will inform our next steps which could include legal action.”