Orange liquid washes on to West Mersea beach

The Environment Agency was alerted to the orange liquid at 09:10 BST

An "unidentified" orange liquid has washed up on a beach prompting a warning to dog owners.

The Environment Agency said it was called by a member of public at West Mersea in Essex at about 09:10 BST.

It said the substance was in "long strips" along the beach and was "coming in on the incoming tide".

The agency said officers were assessing the incident and trying to identify the liquid. The borough council warned dog owners to keep pets on leads.

The substance stretched for several hundred metres in either direction from Seaview Avenue and "there was a lot of debris" associated with it, the agency said.

A Colchester Borough Council spokesman said: "We are aware of a substance along the waterline at West Mersea Beach.

"It is currently unidentified, but the Environment Agency are aware and are carrying out tests.

"As a precaution, we recommend that dogs are kept on a lead and away from the waterline until further notice."