An outbreak of algae at a lake in Milton Keynes has killed dozens of fish and left "thousands gasping for air", the environment agency said. An Environment Agency officer alerted colleagues at about 0730 BST on Tuesday after brown algae completey covered the lake at Bletchley Park.
An agency spokesman said the change in the weather has led to the algae bloom which starves fish of oxygen.
A fish survey team is using aeration units to re-oxygenate the lake.
Algae 'naturally occuring'
The Cambridgeshire-based agency's Terry Clough said the algae naturally occurs in lakes and there were several dozen cases of the bloom across the East of England in 2003.
The team of six have been working to save the lakes' rud and roach stock since 1330 BST on Wednesday.
Mr Clough said he expects the level of algae to fall over the next couple of days. But the team will continue oxygenating the water until the weekend.
If the problem continues the fish will be removed and placed into a different lake, he added.
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