Two hundred fish have been moved from ponds beneath six power station cooling towers.

A specialist firm carried out the task - helped by staff at Didcot's coal-fired power station - as water was drained from the system for the first time.

Mark Elsworth, a chemist at the power station, who helped with the transfer to the River Thames, said: "There was a mixture of fish with the biggest about 18in long.

"One chub weighed 3lb and there were a few roach, but mostly barbel." The fish would have originally got into the circulating water system as eggs or very small fry, in water pumped from the Thames.

Mr Elsworth said: "The fish were released into the river a little further downstream from our cooling water intake."

It is the first time such a transfer has been made. In the past, only one of the cooling tower ponds at a time has been drained for maintenance, when fish were simply transferred to one of the other ponds.

All the fish were thriving and had appeared perfectly healthy in their unusual habitat.

The inspection and maintenance was part of a 12-week operation at the power station including checking and upgrading the system.

Story date: Saturday 16 October

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