ACTION is needed to stop Petersfield's Heath Pond turning in to a bog or disappearing altogether, it was claimed this week. The pond was closed last month after a bloom of toxic blue-green algae killed some Canada geese and hundreds of fish. Now council chiefs and environmental experts are putting their heads together to come up with a long-term solution to the problem. The town clerk, Neil Hitch, warned a full council meeting on Monday that members should have in mind the potential cost of dredging and desilting the pond bed in the future. He later told The Herald that failure to act soon could have serious repercussions for the beauty spot. "If we do nothing, eventually the pond will disappear. The Environmental Agency explained to me on Monday that there was not enough water there," he said. "Gradually, that bottom layer of silt will rise to the surface, and if your water level is not high enough, that silt will turn the pond into a bog." "The Environment Agency is going to be doing tests on the water - that could be any time in the next two weeks. We have discussed the possibility of desilting the pond and pumping water in from a nearby stream. "The first step, I hope, is to get the grounds committee to sanction a siltation survey to confirm which are the worst-affected areas of the pond." Mr Hitch added that he was looking into the possibility of starting a fund to help pay for maintenance of the pond in the long term. "We have not provided for that in the past, but, in the future, I'm going to ask members to plan ahead."