Anti-flooding operation to make sure crayfish don't kick bucket

The project to remove nearly 150 tonnes of silt, gravel and rubble from a beck to reduce the threat of flooding in Pocklington will begin next week.

In recent years, improvements in water quality have led to the re-colonisation of the beck by otters, water voles and the native white-clawed crayfish.

The clearance work has been designed to protect these species as far as possible following consultation with Natural England.

Some sections of the clean-up will involve contractors wearing breathing apparatus to enter the culverts before searching through the gravel as it is removed so they can return any crayfish to the beck.

The native species has been under attack from an American relative, the signal crayfish, since the 1970s. Signal crayfish carry a plague that has killed large numbers of white-clawed crayfish.

White-clawed crayfish are also threatened by competition for food and habitat from signal crayfish, and pollution.

Pocklington Beck flows through man-made culverts for much of its length beneath the town centre and under homes, businesses and roads.

Over time, gravel and silt from higher up the beck, along with other rubble, has found its way into the watercourse and collected in the culverts.

After flooding in July 2007, the Environment Agency carried out an exploration of the culverts using CCTV cameras to identify the worst build-ups.

Contractors will start a month-long work programme on Monday next week to remove about 150 tonnes of material.