Around 100 fish have died due to lack of oxygen

Around 100 salmon and sea trout have been found dead in the River Tyne after falling victim to low oxygen levels in the water.

The Environment Agency said it had to act now to save hundreds of others.

This weekend it will pump about 440m gallons of water (2m cubic metres) into the river from Kielder Reservoir.

It is hoped that the high levels of oxygen-rich water will make it easier for migrating salmon to swim upstream past obstructions such as weirs.

'Worryingly low'

Fish deaths in the Tyne estuary are more common when warm weather combines with lower flows in the river.

Phil Rippon, fisheries specialist for the Environment Agency, said: "Oxygen levels in the top of the estuary near Wylam are worryingly low at the moment.

"The decline of industry and improved sewage treatment means that water quality of the Tyne is better than it has been at any time since 1900 and there is very little else we can do about this aspect.

"We can't release enough water to solve the problem with lack of oxygen in the estuary.