The Environment Agency is urging people to think before they pour potentially harmful substances down drains following a recent oil spill in Huntingdon.

Last week the Environment Agency, along with the RSPCA and Huntingdonshire District Council, responded to an incident of large scale oil pollution on the River Great Ouse and investigations are still ongoing to establish whether waste oil was dumped in a surface water drain.

With World Rivers Day approaching on Sunday, officers are reminding the public to keep rivers clean and pollution free. Anything that is put down a surface water drain can end up in local streams or rivers, which includes cigarette butts, litter and oil.

Liz Robinson, senior environment officer at the Environment Agency, East Anglia area, said: “Unfortunately some people pour left over paints, used engine oil and soapy water down the drains without realising that it ends up in the river causing water pollution and damaging birds and wildlife.

“It is very expensive to clean up the water as well as the damage to boats and local wildlife so we are hoping that people think twice before pouring things down the drains.”

If you see anyone dumping anything down the drains call the Environment Agency’s incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.