Hundreds of birds, fish and other wildlife are dying from a plague of algae blooms in lakes and ponds caused by the nationwide drought.
Nearly 250 cases of the toxic blue-green algae known as cyanobacteria have been reported in Northern Ireland‘s waterways, with others hitting Scottish lochs and lakes as far afield as Lancashire to Hampshire.
The latest case on a lake in Essex has left heartbreaking scenes of dead ducks, geese, moorhens and fish floating on a surface of ‘scum’ left by the algae, with many residents hitting out at council bosses for not taking enough action.
Blue-green algae blooms in still
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