QUICK-thinking countryside ranger Frank Holding averted a pollution disaster at a top beauty spot.

Frank was on patrol when he spotted several river fish in distress in Yarrow Valley Park, and immediately called in the experts.

Chorley Council's countryside and woodlands officer, Ged Brierley, said:"He told me immediately and I contacted the Environment Agency. They reacted within 30 minutes and managed to trace the problem.

"Apparently a member of the public working on a sewage pipe had lost a set of draining rods and these had caused a blockage which led to an overspill into the Yarrow.

"However, because of the prompt action, the agency was able to sort out the blockage and, thankfully, only a handful of fish were lost."

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency added: "The situation could have been much worse if the problem had not been reported quickly.

"The contamination itself was quickly diluted."