Chateau Mile End ... the very finest bottles of water

DEL BOY would have been proud. It doesn't quite have the scenic allure of French spas or Scottish hills, but Mile End may soon be the name stamped on bottles of spring water in all the finest restaurants.

Although it seems too good to be true hopes of Inner City Spring have been raised after council workers discovered a natural source of pure drinking water under Mile End Park, east London - an area not normally celebrated for its pure glaciers and crystal clear streams.

Workmen found the water while conducting tests and have now extracted it from 10 different sites across the park's entire two- mile breadth. With echoes of the classic episode of Only Fools and Horses where Del Boy tries to sell tap water under the name Peckham spring , Tower Hamlets council officials say they are stunned by the extent and apparent purity of the water. The original plan was to use the water for a new swimming pool if it proved clean enough, but tests proved it was far better, with some even suggesting it was as good as any brand on sale in the supermarkets. Sensing they could have a sensation on their hands, officials called for further tests. The Tower Hamlets authority is now waiting for the final results before examining whether the water could actually be marketable - putting the borough's name firmly on the map. Michael Piner said: "All we dared to hope for was water which would be good enough for a swimming pool." The council team working in the park have already suggested Bow Wells as a possible name for the water. In the TV spoof, Del Boy's scam came to grief when the water developed a radioactive glow in the dark.

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