Anglers face a continued ban on fishing the Ladygrove Lakes at Didcot to conserve fish stocks hit by the drought.

Phill Court, left, and Martin Moore

Despite recent rainfall, water levels at the two lakes are not high enough to lift the restriction, according to the town council's technical manager Brenda Andrews.

By the end of the summer, many fisheries were closed to anglers as water levels dropped to critical levels.

But where lakes fed by streams and underground springs have largely recovered, Miss Andrews said the Didcot lakes - covering five acres of water - were entirely dependent on rainfall and drainage from the land around them.

By the end of the summer, water levels at Didcot had dropped by two-and-a-half feet.

In August, the council and the Environment Agency installed aeration equipment to increase oxygen levels in order to avoid a "crash" - when large numbers of fish die through lack of oxygen.

Miss Andrews, who is secretary of Ladygrove Fishing Association, said: "On one occasion the conditions were critical.

"We lost seven reasonably-sized carp because of the conditions."

Water levels have now increased, although the oxygen plant is still being used and the situation is being monitored daily by the council and the Environment Agency.

But Miss Andrews said the ban on fishing the lakes which was imposed in September would have to continue for the the time being.