Fish have been dying in local lakes as oxygen levels in the water have dropped.

The drop is said to be down to the hot weather which has caused algae to grow, the local angling club says.

Recent heavy rain has then killed the algae, which sinks to the bottom of the lake and decomposes, using up oxygen in the water - and depriving it from the fish.

To solve the issue, which has been causing dead fish to float on the surface of several lakes in the area, Eastleigh and District Angling Club have been using pumps and aerators to increase the amount of oxygen.

Dave Banks, chairman of the angling club said: “We’ve had several lakes that have had a problem, we’ve got Hiltingbury up in Chandlers Ford which has got a lot of dead fish, making it stink apparently and also Lakeside, where fish have been seen gasping for air over the last few days.”

The levels of oxygen in the lake had reportedly dropped to below 30%, but following the efforts of the Angling Club and it’s associates, the levels are now back up to around 80%.

Dave added: “The last couple of years where we’ve had really high temperatures and then rain it’s been quite bad. We’ve got one guy at the moment going to all the lakes testing the oxygen and two guys have been sleeping down at lakeside so the pump doesn’t get stolen, so we’ve got about 8 or 10 people involved in total.”

The lakes have been monitored by staff at the Environment Agency over the weekend. A spokesperson said: “Reports of fish in distress often increase in the summer due to natural processes reducing oxygen levels in the water.

“Hot, sunny weather can lead to low flows in rivers, and small still waters are particularly susceptible as ponds and lakes start to warm up.”

The lakes belong to Eastleigh Borough Council which leases the lakes to the Angling Club. A council spokesperson said: “Eastleigh & District Angling Club acted swiftly upon the first reports of fish struggling to breathe at the lakes on Friday, and used a pump and generator to aerate the water.