Gateshead residents have dubbed a local pond drying up as a "disaster" for the local environment.
Shibdon Pond in Blaydon is home to several species of birds including kingfishers, mandarin ducks, lapwing and snipe - there have even been otters spotted there in recent years. However, in recent months the pond has dried up and for many who live close to it, it is the first time this has happened in living memory.
According to residents, the water level started to drop in June and within a month the pond had completely dried up. And though the pond has started to refill after recent heavy rainfall, residents are worried at what they perceive to be a lack of information from Durham Wildlife Trust, the charity which manages the pond on behalf of Gateshead Council.
