Mystery foam on river in Thetford sparks Environment Agency investigation

Sunday, 19 October 2025 11:59

A large volume of foam that mysteriously appeared on a river is being investigated by the Environmental Agency.

Images shared by the agency on Saturday morning showed the foam covering an area of the River Thet, in Thetford.

An EA spokesperson said the source of the foam, which remains visible, had been detected and further discharge stopped.

The cause of foam is not yet known, with an investigation underway, but Anglian Water confirmed it had been caused by a "third party".

EA added that a second foam plume was possible today with the foam continuing to travel down the river.

The spokesperson said: "Environment Agency officers are continuing to investigate the cause of a large volume of foam found in the River Thet in the centre of Thetford, yesterday.

"Our specialist teams have collected samples, detected the possible source, and prevented any further discharge. There will be an ongoing investigation to try and ensure that this does not happen again.

"It is possible that we might see a second foam plume today and the foam will continue to travel down the river. It is still visible but will have little environmental impact as it dissipates."

On Saturday EA had also urged members of the public to report any fish in distress.

An Anglian Water spokeswoman said: "One of our managers is on site helping the Environment Agency with their checks which will then go back to the third party responsible."

Sky News

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