Dozens of dead fish and children becoming ill after entering a river have sparked fears about pollution.

Authorities have investigated after residents raised concerns about the River Amber in South Wingfield.

Mark Simpson, who lives close by and walks his dog in the area, said: “There are many dead fish and I have heard reports that children became ill after playing in the water.

“The environmental services have been contacted by several different people. My neighbour contacted them and they asked if there were red dots on the fish which there are.”

Mark Simpson at the River Amber in South Wingfield.

placeholder image — Mark Simpson at the River Amber in South Wingfield.

Mark was concerned about sewage being released into the river from nearby feeds, with some discharges lasting for several hours.

He added: “The water companies are failing all over the country. The damage to the Amber is dreadful if it is shown to be sewage. The river has come back to life in recent years so this a major blow.”

Joanne Brealey was also looking for answers after her son became ill but said she had been unable to log her concerns with authorities.

She added: “My son and a group of friends have been in the river Amber at the back of the church in South Wingfield on two occasions during the hot summer months.

Mark said several neighbours had contacted environmental services and they had been asked if there were red dots on the dead fish.

"Once during May half term and then in August. Just over 24 hours after going in the river in August my son became ill with sickness, his friend also became ill at the same time.

"On further investigation I also discovered that after the outing in May, two other boys had also been ill. I tried to report this to both environmental agency and environmental health but because I hadn't witnessed any pollution and hadn't had to involve a doctor they wouldn't take a report from me.”

On Facebook Amy Watson commented: “Couldn't believe it yesterday morning when I went down hundreds of fish all dead!”

The Environment Agency said officers responded quickly to reports of dead and distressed fish but tests showed water quality to be within expected levels, suggesting the mortality resulted from adverse dry weather.

A spokesperson said: "Our rivers and lakes are home to a wide range of animals and birds and naturally contain different bacteria, some of which can make people unwell.

"Officers took samples of river water and no evidence was found of pollution.

"We want people to be able to safely enjoy our natural waterways.

“Members of the public are encouraged to follow UKHSA safety advice and to always check Swimfo for latest advice of swimming at designated bathing sites.”

Severn Trent confirmed storm overflows had been releasing raw sewage during recent heavy rainfall but there were no reports of pollution from their activity in the South Wingfield area.

A spokesperson added: “Over the last couple of weeks our region saw sustained, heavy rainfall which caused widespread flooding across many areas of our counties. While storm overflows have operated as designed to prevent homes from flooding during storms, we're continuing to invest £2bn at pace to go faster to reduce their use.

“River health can be influenced by a number of different factors which include agriculture, urban runoff and climate. As part of our Get River Positive commitments we are working to support improved river health and work with others to achieve more resilient rivers.”