KEIGHLEY Angling Club has urged members to look out for signs of unusual activity after poachers struck at one of the town’s most picturesque fishing locations.

Club secretary Dennis Freeman received reports of a large dead pike lying close to the bank at Roberts Pond in Utley.

After receiving a call from a concerned angler, Dennis made a full inspection of the site and was angered to find several more pike carcasses discarded on the margins of the pond.

He also found the remains of an open fire together with evidence that someone had set up an overnight bivouac on the bank.

He said: “The club met to discuss this illegal activity; we are all angry and disturbed that anyone would do this to the magnificent fish in our waters.

“Roberts Pond has been a haven for pike for many years but it seems, whoever did this, deliberately targeted and destroyed them.

“We don’t know who is responsible or if it was the work of more than one person. But we do have clear rules governing the removal of fish from our waters. What happened at Utley is unacceptable to the club as well as all reputable anglers. We are proud of our reputation for promoting and helping to sustain fish stocks. This is a serious breach of our rules.”

Keighley Angling Club plan to step up monitoring activities. They ask that any problems are reported to committee officials.