Resident reports 'alarming new spillage' in Harrogate in what seems to be latest pollution incident

After sending the Harrogate Advertiser his photographs of the unidentified ‘spillage’ at Oak Beck, resident Adrian Davy has not given up monitoring the scene at the water outlet in the Jennyfields area of Harrogate.

His latest picture taken today at 8am shows another seemingly harmful discharge in the same area as identified before.

This time round, the offending ‘spillage’ is brown in colour.

The resident said: “It looks exactly the same as the previous discharge that killed the fish in Oak Beck last month.

"It’s about about time whoever is dumping chemicals into the system was caught.

"We don’t know who is to blame but Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency need to get a grip.”

The previous incident this year prompted Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones to write to the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water to find the source of the ‘spillage’.

"This is not the first time we have seen pollutants dumped into Oak Beck,” said Mr Jones.

"I am keen that those responsible face a substantial penalty.”

Concern over possible pollution at Oak Beck is nothing new.

In 2016 Coun Matthew Webber (Lib Dem, New Park) raised the issue of raw sewerage in Oak Beck which flows towards the river Nidd and Knox Mill.

Speaking at the time, the Environment Agency said: "The Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water have investigated issues of discolouration at Oak Beck thought to be caused by missed sewer connections."