Dairy spillage spells disaster for Dagenham golf club’s golf balls and £1,000 carp
A dead carp and golf balls lie in the milky water - Credit: Archant
Hundreds of fish died and thousands of golf balls were ruined when a large amount of milk from a factory leaked into a golf club pond.
Manager Marcus Radmore, by the lake. - Credit: Archant
The white stuff from Dairy Crest in Selinas Lane, Dagenham got into pipes that lead to the lake at Crowlands Heath Golf Club in Wood Lane, and starved the water of oxygen.
Staff at the club say this killed around 100 carp, worth up to £1,000 each, and damaged the thousands of golf balls that had been hit into the lake by members earlier that day.
They also claim that the Thames Water generators, which have been used on a regular basis to put oxygen back into the water, have caused a disturbance, leading to loss of customers.
The club told the Post that Dairy Crest have been unwilling to compensate them for the damage and fall in revenue, though a Dairy Crest spokesperson said “discussions are ongoing to bring about a resolution.”
Club manager, Marcus Radmore, said: “This has had a massively negative impact on us. Just the fish alone are worth thousands and they were really popular with people. There is no way we can replace them.
“It’s actually worse to get milk in water than oil and oil doesn’t mix with the water in the way milk does.
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“It’s disturbed a lot of the silt and soot on the bottom which is what has ruined the balls.”
He added the club’s future could be at risk if Dairy Crest failed to offer compensation.
The Dairy Crest spokesperson, who said it is thought a power cut at the plant led to the leak, explained that Dairy Crest took “immediate action” when the incident in May was brought to their attention.
“We conducted a thorough environmental survey of the site and met with representatives from the golf club, Thames Water and the Environment Agency.”
