SEAHORSES have been found in the Thames estuary, suggesting the river is at its cleanest for decades.

Colonies have been found at several locations in the estuary by the Zoological Society of London. The discovery follows sightings of salmon, otters and silver bream further upstream.

Their presence has been kept quiet for 18 months until today, when they are given protected status. They will be covered by the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which also protects the otter, grass snake and water vole.

“These amazing seahorses have been found in the Thames on a number of occasions in the past 18 months during our regular wildlife monitoring work,” said Alison Shaw, the society’s conservation manager.

“It demonstrates that the Thames is becoming a sustainable, biodiverse habitat for aquatic life. It is not clear how endangered short-snouted seahorses are because there is little data, particularly in the UK.”

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