SOUTHAMPTON Common's ornamental pond looks set for a £30,000 Ground Force-style makeover to rejuvenate it.

The popular city spot has far too many fish in it, no plant life and is prone to blue-green algae, which can poison pets and sometimes people.

At a meeting last night, fishermen and locals got together with environment bosses to come up with a plan for the ailing lake's future.

They heard the pond could be purified, replanted with aquatic vegetation and have rare species of British fish introduced.

The ornamental pond was opened on the common in 1888 and forms part of the site of special scientific interest which is Southampton Common.

The meeting, which took place in Southampton University's Avenue Campus, heard that the ornamental pond had never recovered from being dredged in 1982.

The plant life had never been replaced, terminally upsetting the pond's delicate eco-balance and leaving mirror carp to get fat on anglers' bait.

There are so many mirror carp in the pond that despite one tonne of fish being recently removed, there are still between two and three times the recommended number swimming around there.

The density causes the animals "environmental stress", the meeting was told.

But the government's Environment Agency has up to £30,000 of money from anglers' rod licences to invest in rejuvenating the site for all users. The only condition is that the lake has to remain a fishery.

The agency's Andy Thomas said: "It has become perfectly clear that the status quo cannot be maintained.

"It is in an unsustainable state at the moment and it has to be brought round."

He went on to outline his view of the lake's future.

"I intend to remove the fish population and replace it with a different population.

"I would like to see British pond species such as crucian carp and I would love to see a few tench and probably some perch," he said.

Environmental bosses are now to consult on plans for the site. Work is not likely to start before March next year.