Around 90 fish killed after pollution in river
The Environment Agency (EA) said it had received reports of a chemical entering the River Lew, near Okehampton, late on Monday.
A spokesperson for the EA said samples had been taken from the river for analysis to help identify the source of the pollutant.
They added investigations were taking place and said once fish surveys had finished the total number of fish killed could be even higher.
An EA spokesperson said: "Whilst the nature of the pollutant is yet to be confirmed we have advised local landowners and residents to keep pets and livestock away from the river as a precaution.
"Members of the public are urged to report pollution incidents."
On Tuesday the EA said the source of the chemical had been found and stopped.
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Dave McKelvey, managing director of TM Eye private investigators, which works with tobacco firms to gather evidence on the illicit trade, claims that Fujian-based Chinese triads operate a "vast business" here in the UK. And trying to track down the people in charge of these criminal enterprises is a challenge. Trading Standards told the BBC that those named as the company director often have no real involvement in the company. Instead, they may be paid a small sum each month to be listed as the director on official documents. Later this year, Companies House will receive new powers to better identify business owners. Authorities are trying to clean up British high streets. Just this year, we joined dozens of raids led by the NCA in barber shops and mini marts, in a month-long operation. But the former senior detectives who worked with the BBC's undercover team said they need more time to fully expose the organised crime supplying some of the shop fronts. 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"Are the police... seen to be tackling low level offences? When they don't see it tackled, people's perception is that things are getting a lot worse." And people tend to trust the government less when they think access to good shops has declined in their area, says Will Jennings, a political science professor at the University of Southampton, based on studies he has done. The families paying £1,500 for 'private bobbies' to police their homes Kuenssberg: Starmer's first year ends in shambles, but could he still turn it around? Britain's energy bills problem - and why firms are paid huge sums to stop producing power Nick Plumb, a director at the Power to Change charity, says his research shows that declining high streets boosts support for parties that were once considered outside of the political mainstream. "Reform UK, for example, is doing better in places with declining high streets when compared to the rest of England," he says. "There's a sense that … mainstream politics, local authorities have all tried to tackle this issue, and [residents] haven't seen any change. It's that sense of 'the status quo hasn't solved these things, and therefore we want to try something new'." Ultimately, what people see in the places they call home matters. "People find a sense of local identity in the quality of the streets where they've grown up," adds Mr Nicholson. "When the quality ... dramatically declines, and they feel they can't even go there - what that does to a sense of community is unquantifiable." Additional reporting by Phillip Edwards. Top Image credit: Javier Zayas Photography/ Getty Images BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. 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