Large numbers of fish at a Swindon lake have died due to an oxygen crash in the water.

Oxygen levels have dropped in Queen's Park Lake because of the "unprecedented hot and dry weather", the parish council revealed.

South Swindon Parish Council, which manages the lake, says it is "very concerned" about the large number of sudden fish deaths and is already implementing measures to improve the situation.

Some residents had thought that the rise in duckweed on the lake was linked to the deaths.

But the parish council has confirmed this is not the case, saying: "Although this problem is unsightly and not the ideal environment for wildlife it is not the reason for the sudden deaths of large numbers of fish stock within the lake."

In the short-term, the parish council has spoken to an aquatic maintenance company about fitting a pump into the Drove Road lake to increase its oxygen supply.

Councillors have also contacted the Environment Agency because they have the machinery to test the water and increase the oxygen.

Parish council chair Chris Watts said: “We are very concerned about the drop in oxygen levels in the lake and the impact that has had in aqua life and wildfowl on the lake.

"I can reassure residents that we are taking this very seriously at the parish, and we are actively seeking help and advice from organisations with the appropriate expertise and equipment to deal with this issue.

"As residents will have heard in the news, we are not alone in having water quality issues and we are doing our utmost to get the Environment Agency to take swift action improve the lake’s water quality."

The low oxygen problems occurred because of the minimal rainfall over the last few months.

Queen’s Park Lake is spring fed from Old Town and, when the water levels decreased, more silt and organic matter was dragged up.

This increased the nutrients in the water which led to the oxygen crash.

Councillors are looking at longer-term solutions to stop this situation from happening again and to protect aquatic wildlife in the lake.

This could include mechanical methods and increased planting.

Coun Watts added: "This may include research into modifying the ecosystem of the lake to be more resilient to prolonged higher temperatures we have experienced this summer and that are expected to occur on a more regular basis.”