Eagle and Mount Ponds on Clapham Common are the only ones in Lambeth that can be used by anglers. All users need a permit to fish there.

Lambeth Council’s Park’s team has been gradually changing the fish in both ponds to make them more appropriate to anglers and to improve the ponds’ wildlife diversity and ecology.

Last month the Government’s Environment Agency donated 2,250 small ‘silver fish’ – 1,000 roach and 1,250 bream – from their Calverton fish farm in Nottinghamshire.

When fish on the farm reach 18 months of age, they are carefully sorted and packaged, and sent out to ponds all over the country to strengthen the population of different species of UK fish. All the fish are electronically counted, loaded and oxygenated in line with the technical specifications at Calverton.

On arrival at Clapham Common, the two species were mixed together, then divided equally into three separate tanks – 750 fish to each tank. Two tanks – two thirds – of the roach and bream went into Mount Pond and the other third into Eagle Pond.

Longer term, the aim is to improve the fishing and user experience around the two ponds by installing better platforms which would also be more accessible by disabled people.