ANGLERS are waiting with 'baited' breath for news that Petersfield's heath pond can re-open.
It follows tests which have given the popular beaut spot the all-clear following this summer's outbreak of blue-green algae.
The pond has been closed since the end of July after thousands of fish and dozens of water birds were killed.
Now, anxious members of Petersfield and District Angling Club are waiting for scientists to hand over written documentation of their report to pond owners Petersfield Town Council, so they can see how many fish are left in the pond.
Having got tired of waiting for the Environment Agency to carry out tests, the angling club took samples from various areas of the pond themselves, and passed them on to Wickham Laboratories for tests.
Angling club chairman Andy Reed said: "We have had a report back and the essentials of it are that the water is fine, but until we can get official documents to the town council we cannot get the lake reopened. The report says the water is safe enough to drink."
The angling club leases the pond from the council to fish it.
Petersfield Town Council clerk Neil Hitch said: "Until we get it in writing we will not take it any further and the pond will stay closed."
Mr Reed said he has had a large number of phone calls from angling club members "desperate to see if there were any fish in the pond".
He said they were unsure whether the entire fish population had been lost until the lake was "netted".
Mr Reed added: "No disrespect to the Environment Agency, but we got quite frustrated having to wait for them, and getting no feedback that we decided to organise and fund the tests ourselves."