ENVIRONMENT Agency bosses do not believe water quality is responsible for the deaths of a family of swans.

Five of the birds, including four cygnets, died on Saturday evening despite a group of residents' best efforts to save them.

Concerns have been raised over the quality of the River Colne, in the Hythe, and Julie Young, Essex county and Colchester borough councillor, has called for answers.

 

In a response from the Environment Agency, it states: "At present we have no reason to believe that water quality was responsible for the death of the swans, so are not proposing to undertake extended water quality testing at the moment.

"Without any indication of what to look for in the water, it would be difficult to undertake water quality testing with any confidence.

 

"At this point it will be of far more helpful to identify the cause of the swans' death as this should help identify what and whether water quality testing would be of benefit."

The bodies of the swans were due to be collected by Defra officers yesterday, who will aim to establish the cause of death.