76022-154A BIRD plucked from an oil spillage has been returned to the wild next to a sewage plant.

The male moorhen about the same size as a small chicken was close to death when walkers spotted him bobbing in the River Ray.

The Environment Agency says up to 10,000 litres of red diesel leaked into a tributary close to the Swindon Sewage Treatment Works last month.

So far, three kingfishers, three moorhens, and a swan have been found dead.

And it's feared otters and water voles may also have been affected.

Matt Prior, the leader of Thames Water's environmental protection squad, said his team are still mopping up, though they appear to be winning the battle.

"I was gutted when I saw the damage," he said.

"One of the kingfishers was tagged. It was a male breeding bird.

Swindon has few waterways and it's a big blow.

"Some birds will have the commonsense to move to another river or lagoon. But some refuse. Moorhens, especially, are very territorial and they know other birds would not accept them.

"Fortunately we got to this moorhen in time. The South West Swindon Swan Sanctuary has done a superb job nursing him back to health.

"But now is the right time to release him back into the wild so he can do his own stuff."

The moorhen, which was ringed before being carefully lowered into the river, still bears the physical scars of the spillage, where his feathers were burnt by the oil.

But Mr Priors said these would heal in the wild. "Moor-hens hate being in captivity they're very lively," he said.

Jo Sayers, of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, said the spillage could not have happened at a worse time.

"With it being winter some of the birds would have died from the cold," she said. "Oil literally burns the feathers off birds."

The trust has vowed to continue its conservation work in the area.

Next week sees the start of a £120,000 project to put bends back into the river.

Ms Sayers said: "This stretch of the River Ray has become very straight. We want to put some bends in, which will create pools for wildlife.

"In conjunction with a number of local businesses, we'll plant reed beds."

An Environment Agency spokeswoman confirmed it has tracked down the firm that is responsible for the spillage but the name is not being released because further action could follow.

Kevin Shoesmith