Staff at a Swindon aquatics centre have been left shocked by the death of multiple fish after an alleged “deliberate act”.

On Saturday, March 23, customers at World of Water, at Studley Grange Garden Centre, reported some fish appeared to be in distress and staff acted quickly to try and save several Discus fish.

None of these fish survived, and the centre believes the incident may have been deliberate due to a “strong chemical smell in the area.”

A spokesperson said: “As soon as the incident was discovered, our colleagues removed the fish
from the polluted system and did everything in their power to revive them.

“Tragically, none of the Discus survived the damage caused by the chemical.

Swindon Advertiser: The entrance to World of Water in SwindonThe entrance to World of Water in Swindon (Image: Google Maps)

“World of Water as a company prides itself in the fact that the wellbeing of all the livestock is, by far, our primary concern and as fish keepers themselves, the staff have been very upset by this act of completely pointless cruelty.”

The company added security will now be increased following the incident, and details have been passed to police.

They said: “Whilst we never expected it to be necessary, security around the fish systems will now be increased.

“We simply cannot believe that anyone could be cruel enough to inflict such suffering on innocent creatures.”