Sewage has poured into historic ponds, killing dozens of fish.

It wiped out wildlife in the five ponds next to Valley Road, Newhaven.

Visitors to the popular beauty spot found the water filled with dead fish, mostly carp, while ducks will sit only on one pond.

Newhaven Town Council, which is investigating, blamed the pollution on an error by a contractor working for East Sussex County Council.

Judith Ost, Newhaven town councillor for Valley ward, said: "It is still a bit smelly. I think the idea is to let it recover naturally.

"It is a much-loved local amenity. Town council staff have been collecting dead fish to keep it in a tidy condition. I should think local people are a bit fed up as it is a popular area. Lots of people walk around there and it is a nice place to feed the ducks."

Coun Ost said the town council was taking advice from ecologists and was working with Southern Water.

The problem occurred, she believes, because a pipe that takes rainwater into the pond became polluted with waste from a sewage pipe.

She said: "The foul water and the surface water runs broke into one another. The surface water washed the sewage into the ponds.

"We have been dealing with it. There will need to be an investigation at the county council because it was its contractors that did it.

"The town council will monitor the progress of the inquiry."

A woman living near the pond said: "In the first of the five ponds there is nothing at all living. The whole eco-system has completely had it."

She said there were no warning signs about the pollution, adding: "People are bringing their children down all the time to feed the ducks. It is a major pollution risk. There was a huge fish rotting on the grass the other day. It is awful for the kids.

"These ponds are really deep. They have been here for donkey's years. They are much valued by the community."

A Southern Water spokeswoman said: "One of our crews went to the scene immediately, identified the cause of the pollution and dealt with it as quickly as possible.

"Although the incident was not our fault, our crew, working with the council, helped rescue fish."

A county council spokesman said it was investigating the cause of the problem but had not confirmed it was work carried out for the county council.