Widespread flooding throughout St Albans has resulted in massive losses of fishing stock in local lakes, with an angling club fearing carp worth up to £1,000 have escaped.

Barry Killinger, fisheries manager of the Verulam Angling Club which has four lakes at the Moor Mill Pits, at Frogmore/Park Street, said that there was over £80,000 worth of stock in one lake alone.

The River Ver breached its banks at the weekend and flooded the “island” lake which contains thousands of pounds worth of carp, tench, pike and other species.

Barry has blamed the flooding of the River Ver and fishing lakes on a lack of maintenance from both the Environment Agency and Lafarge Tarmac, which manages the site.

The club leases the site for a “substantial sum” from Lafarge.

Barry said other parts of the river, away from the site, were “running normally” despite the recent deluge.

Once the river water level has receded – it rose by several feet – club members will have their work cut out, trying to retrieve any stock which has escaped.

Dick Downs, bailiff for the Ver Valley Society, said the organisation was “quietly concerned” about the flooding, particularly with more rain forecast. A cottage next to the river had water flowing around its air bricks at the weekend.

Dick warned that should there be more heavy rain, the “sewers could pop” at the Frogmore Home Park near the River Ver. He said his wife, “can’t remember so many places in St Albans being so flooded” in the past seven decades.