Mystery foam on river in Thetford sparks Environment Agency investigation

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

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

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

The cause is not yet known, with an investigation under way, but Anglian Water confirmed there was a "third party" involved.

The Environment Agency said a second foam plume could be possible today.

"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," a spokesperson said.

"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, the agency 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."

(c) Sky News 2025: Mystery foam on river in Thetford sparks Environment Agency investigation