Deadly piranhas with razor-sharp teeth found in Doncaster lake where children play

Residents in Doncaster have spoken of their shock after a pair of deadly piranhas were discovered in a lake where their children paddle.

The carnivorous fish with rows of sharp teeth normally stalk the waters of the Amazon but were both discovered in the water at Martinwells Lake in Edlington.

Locals at the beauty spot say they have noticed a reduced number of ducks and fish at the lake - and think the flesh-eating fish could be responsible.

Mum Toni Hooper, 32, from Doncaster, saw the fish when out walking with her family on Sunday.

She said: "When we realised what it was it sent shivers down my spine.

"This is a popular spot amongst families, dog walkers and fishermen. It's always busy here.

"There's a play park nearby, so you get kids here paddling in the water, teenagers will go swimming here."

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She added: "We came here to feed the ducks and on Sunday we noticed there was only one duck and two ducklings, I'm concerned about where the wildlife is.

"I've spoken to others who have said they've noticed there aren't as many ducks."

Her partner, Gary Walker, 34, often fishes at the site and has noticed fish hauls have reduced.

The former clay pit is now home to a lake which is usually well-stocked with carp, tench, bream, perch, roach, pike and chubb along with usual pond life of newts, frogs and toads.

Ducks, coots and water hens all live on the pond which is visited each year by swans to raise their young.

Mum-of-three Lisa Holmes, 37, who was there with partner, tree surgeon Davey White, 37, and their youngest child, Sonny, eight, were shocked to find the razor-toothed fish.

She said: "He [her partner] managed to get it out of the water and although he's a keen angler, he wasn't sure what type of fish it was straight away.

"But then we started looking at it more closely and saw the teeth we realised it was a piranha.

"We went home and Googled it and it's quite clear its a piranha. It was quite a shock. We couldn't believe that we'd found a piranha fish. It's not the kind of thing you expect to find in Doncaster."

Known for their sharp teeth and powerful jaws, piranhas are known to have killed humans – although attacks on people are rare.

Most attacks only result in minor injuries, typically to the feet or hands, but they are occasionally more serious and can be fatal.

In 2011, a drunk 18-year-old man was attacked and killed in Bolivia, a five-year-old Brazilian girl was attacked and killed by a shoal in 2015 and in 2016 a Brazilian girl died after her grandmother's boat capsized during a family holiday.

The sightings have been reported to the Environment Agency.

- This article first appeared on Yahoo