SHOCKED residents have spotted the floating bodies of dead eels in the pond of a popular park as they ramp up calls for Southend Council to tackle the issue.

The pond at Southchurch Park East has faced issues in the last month with the deaths of carp and eels and Southend Council pointed the finger at possible contamination of the pond with salt water from a pipe.

With visitors spotting as many 30 dead and decomposing eels in a single day last month, the council has taken measures to remove the bodies from the lake.

However, concerned residents now fear the issue is beginning to return again as new images taken by a resident show dead eels floating on the surface of the pond.

The pipe believed to have been linked to the issue has since been removed.

Environmentalist, Julie Callow, believes that the problems with the pond are an “ongoing issue” and a core issue must be identified and fixed.

She said: “The council reckon this is the saltwater coming in and that has been sorted. This was causing the salt water to go into the pond and kill the carp.

“However the eels are using to living in brackish water, it takes a lot to kill them, and I spoke to a specialist who believes it is a lack of maintenance and the silt at the bottom of the lake must be removed.

“I believe this is an ongoing issue and when they see the issue, they pull the bodies out, but it seems they still aren’t all being caught and not everyone is reporting them, so they float in the debris of the water. It is hard to see them.

“I understand the council is cash-strapped, but my concern is the that the eel is critically endangered, so for them to keep dying in the pond cannot be ignored, it is diabolical.

“All we can do is keep phoning up and complaining, I feel they keep passing the buck.”

Southend Council has been approached for comment.