POND lovers in Dorset are despairing at otters eating all their pet fish, according to a Ferndown garden centre.

Over the last 18 months, increasing numbers of customers at Maidenhead Aquatics, based at Wyevale Garden Centre in Stapehill, have been complaining about the mammals wreaking havoc in their garden ponds.

Sales assistant Dan Albano said: “The problem was just affecting people in fairly close proximity to the river systems, but it’s now spreading much, much further afield since the Environment Agency introduced breeding pairs.

“We’ve had more people miles and miles away from rivers looking to step up security for their ponds, but there’s not a great deal they can do.”

Metal grids can be installed on concrete ponds, but otters will just dig underneath over covers.

Mr Albano, who’s worked at the centre in Wimborne Road for three years, added: “People are upset because they’re losing expensive Koi Carp that they’ve had for 20 years.”

He added: “Otters are very, very territorial animals and they are just going to spread out all over the place and this is going to be quite a big problem.”