SEA trout are again spawning in a stream following improvements in water quality and measures to help wildlife.

The Cong Burn, a tributary of the River Wear in the Chester-le-Street area, was once polluted by industry.

Parts of it had also been modified with culverts to free up land for roads and other infrastructure, which can also create problems for river wildlife, including fish.

And sea trout – an excellent indicator of water quality – are now returning there to spawn although there is still more work to be done.

Fisheries officer Paul Frear said: “There are now more than 20 spawning areas in the burn compared to the handful we’ve seen in previous years.

“This is excellent news and shows that the conditions are right for the fish to return.”

The Environment Agency has paid for Chester-le-Street Angling Club members to remove a weir and alter underground culverts to help fish move along the watercourse.

Improvements to the quality of the water in Cong Burn have been made following investment by Northumbrian Water at the Hustledown sewage treatment works.