For most children, a trip to feed the ducks becomes a treasured childhood memory.
But for a select few in Essex, the activity became a living nightmare after a rogue catfish reportedly ate them in front of horrified children.
The 25lb fish has now been removed from the lake at Thurrock’s Lakeside shopping centre after a number of shoppers complained.
The catfish – an invasive species that had been introduced to the man-made lake – was caught and relocated through a partnership project the Environment Agency runs with the Catfish Conservation Group.
Ben Norrington, Environment Agency Fisheries Officer, said: ‘It’s not great for kids to see these large fish eating the ducks, so we removed this large catfish and will work with the lake’s owners to manage the risk posed by the remaining catfish population.
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‘Working with the Catfish Conservation Group, we’re looking at high-risk waters where fish could escape into rivers and pose a risk to native fish and other wildlife.
‘The fish was relocated to a fully enclosed lake.’
It is understood fishing competitions will be held over the next few years to help reduce the population further, and the captured fish will be re-homed in man-made lakes.
