A prominent conservationist says it is time for the gloves to come off in the fight against poachers damaging Maidstone’s ecosystem.

Cllr Tony Harwood (Lib Dem) warns that too many fishermen are illegally catching pike during the close season, which started on March 15.

The fishing restrictions ended on Saturday, but the borough council representative for the North ward claims the number of fully grown female pike observable in the River Len has dramatically reduced this year.

It is feared that the absence of the river’s top predator will allow smaller predators to kill off nationally scarce species of dragonfly and the endangered Desmoulin’s whorl snail.

Cllr Harwood said: “We have put up signs to tell people not to fish during close season but that approach has not worked. It’s time for the gloves to come off.

“Imagine if all the lions disappeared from the Serengeti, their prey would eat all of the grass which would kill off smaller animals. That’s the problem we’re seeing here.

“You can get a fine of up to £50,000 for fishing during the close fishing season, but I see evidence of people doing it every week.

“Thankfully, fish lay a lot of eggs so if left alone the pike numbers will recover, but our dragonflies and the Desmoulin’s whorl snail, in particular, are struggling and if things get worse they will be facing extinction.”

Key illegal fishing hotspots include an area of river bank west of Turkey Court and inside the River Len Nature Reserve, as well as riverbanks behind the Archbishop’s Palace.

Cllr Harwood has written an open letter to the borough council calling for action.