About 1,500 barbel were introduced into the River Aire in Shipley and Bingley today.

Fisheries staff at the Environment Agency will continue restocking the river with fish later this month.

Fisheries officer Peter Mischenko said: “The work is part of the Environment Agency’s river restocking programme, which is intended to develop a sustainable fish population.

“These fish introductions continue to reflect the great improvements in water quality that we have experienced.

“Work is continuing, including managing obstructions such as weirs to ease the passage of fish, so our rivers can only get better for all users of our wonderful waterways.”

December is a good time of year for restocking as fish travel better in cold water, which contains more oxygen.

Barbel is a native species which has been bred at the Environment Agency’s fish farm in Nottinghamshire.

The animals have been marked to show fisheries officers carrying out later river surveys whether the fish they catch have been stocked or bred naturally.