9 January 2008
London's water supply could be threatened by a mass invasion from Siberia.
Not the plot of the latest Bond film, but a possible outcome of the rapidly-rising river Thames population of the zebra mussel.
The thumbnail-sized creatures, which originate in south-east Russia, tend to "cling together", forming large "reefs" which blocks water pipes, London's Evening Standard reports.
In an audit conducted by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) in a short stretch of the Thames near Richmond, west London, many more of the creatures were found than in previous studies.
Talking to the newspaper, Biodiversity Policy Officer at the MCS Jean-Luc Solandt said: "The last time we counted them at Richmond there were only 25 zebra mussels.
"This year, we counted thousands."
Thames Water is already taking measures to check the mussels' growth - in fact, the pipe blockages have become so bad that the water firm has hired specialists to help with the removal of the mussels, the report adds.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
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