RARE fish have been found dead in a dried-up stream in Malvern after temperatures scored as high as 40C.
The extremely hot weather has dried up the water in a brook that runs through the Malvern Cale housing estate in North Malvern.
As a result, dozens of white-clawed crayfish have been found dead and residents worry that any more dry periods will stop the stream flow very quickly.
Despite the recent rainfall, residents said the stream has resumed at a very minimal rate.
Crayfish used to be very common in the UK, but are now seen as a rare species that can only survive in a few small streams.
Dog owners are being urged to keep their pets away from the stream, especially dogs who are routinely treated for fleas and other parasites by the application of highly toxic chemicals that are lethal to water life.
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Dogs swimming in the pools may also threaten the survival of the remaining fish in the stream.
Malvern Hills Crayfish Group, which is supported by the Malvern Hills AONB Committee, Severn Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency claim that the stream needs to have plenty of rainwater to prevent the population from dying out.
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This is the first time the stream of water has dried up since 1976.
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