Trout's return signals health of Wandle

Brown trout are thriving in the river Wandle in one of the most dramatic transformations of the ecology ever seen in Britain.

For the past 25 years, the largely forgotten river was little more than a lifeless drain running through industrial estates and dense housing. But now the Wandle - which enters the Thames near Clapham Junction and runs for nine miles from Croydon - is home to a range of fish, including dace, roach, chub and barbel. The trout, which need clear, welloxygenated water to survive, are the best sign of its health.

The trout population declined as London industry sprang up along the banks. Now campaigning fisherman Alan Suttie says: "One day this will be a salmon pool."