SANDOWN'S carp have been transported to a new home.

Yesterday, 173 fish from the canoe lake were moved to a private lake in Godshill thanks to a huge effort by volunteers and the kindness of the owner of the private lake.

The water at Sandown is still receding, but permission was granted by the Environment Agency (EA) to have the fish professionally moved.

Volunteer Charlotte Gladdis posted yesterday: "173 carp were moved today and are happily settling in their new lake. Tomorrow will be another attempt to ensure all other fish are removed.

"There are so many people to thank and everyone's efforts have been really appreciated."

The RSPCA has also taken in some of the carp.

The lake had been in dire straits since Sunday, and since then there has been a huge community effort to save the dying fish.

The EA agreed the volunteers could arrange for the fish to be professionally moved, or build a dam.

However, it cautioned: "While in principle the idea of building a dam sounds good, you may find it’s difficult to achieve in practice. Creating a barrier to hold water can be extremely difficult."

The lake is part owned by the Isle of Wight Council.