SIX HUGE catfish have been removed from Sale Water Park.

The catfish, which are highly predatory and can grow to over 40kgs in the UK, were removed by the Environment Agency as part of a plan to rid the north west’s rivers and lakes of non-native species.

Catfish can spread disease and threaten native fish stocks.

So far this year, 29 catfish have been removed from waters in Merseyside, Cheshire, and Greater Manchester.

Once caught, they are transferred to a new home in Cheshire, where they will be available for anglers to try and catch.

Sale Water Park’s six captured catfish weighed between six and 10llbs and there are believed to be even bigger fish lurking beneath the surface.

The Environment Agency estimates that Sale Water Park could contain between 50 and 100 catfish and have said some will definitely be bigger than 5ft long.

They plan to return next year to catch more using a specialist electro fishing boat, which is one of three in country, and uses a small amount of electricity to attract and then temporarily stun the fish so that they can be netted and removed from the water.

Darren Bedworth, fisheries team leader, said: "By removing these intriguing visitor from our waters, we are helping to limit the spread of diseases and threats to our environment.

"We recognise the value that varied species have for angling and we want to work with anglers to make sure they are available to catch but in the right waters where the risk to the environment is removed.

"If in doubt, fishery owners should get in touch with their local Environment Agency fisheries officer who will help them conform to current legislation to ensure that their fishery is legal."