A carp saved from the oil spill in a picturesque village pond should be named Lucky according to his rescuers.

The large fish was found by Kelvyn Woodhead, 22, of Queenborough Lane, Great Notley, on Sunday.

His mother, Karen, 42, explained: "I thought it was dead. By the time we got home, it was just lying there.

"It wouldn't fit in the sink. We put it in the bath, cleaned it up and it came to."

Environment Agency experts said it is uncommon for a carp to be in the pond - usually a haven for goldfish - and believe it may have been placed there.

Mrs Woodhead said: "It should be called Lucky! It was the one that got away."

"Lucky" is now staying in a large pond in a field owned by Mrs Woodhead's mother-in-law.

The Environment Agency was alerted on Saturday after a member of the public noticed dead fish in the pond. Officials confirmed the spill and ensured it was self-contained.

Published Wednesday, June 11, 2003

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