Council issues warning about scum found near Twatt – Metro.co.uk
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
A Scottish council has issued a warning after toxic scum was found near Twatt.
Yes, you read that right.
Shetland Islands Council’s environmental health team has found blue-green algae on the Loch of North House near the village of Twatt on the Shetland Mainland.
It’s not to be confused with the village of Twatt on Orkney, which is close to the Loch of Boardhouse, and as far as we know is scum free.
Signs were put up around the Loch yesterday, warning that contact with blue-green algae should be avoided, and animals shouldn’t drink or swim in the water.
Adjoining landowners have been warned about the situation, as have NHS Shetland and Shetland Angling Association.
Additional water treatment to destroy or remove toxins may be applied – the council says the actions they’re currently taking are ‘precautionary’.
People who spot blue-green algae at other locations in Shetland are asked to submit a notification using the free Bloomin’ Algae app.
Sadly, there are some pet owners who have seen their dogs ‘moments from death’ due to the effects of blue-green algae – with Russell Moody’s dog Tala getting seriously ill after taking a dip in a pond a couple of years ago.
Putin poses for selfies and kisses young girl – but is it a body double?
Woman sells real-life piggy banks made out of taxidermy piglets
‘World’s most tattooed man’ giving up the ink to pay off his mortgage
Twatt is located within the parish of Sandsting on the Shetland Mainland.
The name originates from the Old Norse ‘þveit’, meaning ‘small parcel of land’, which is usually translated to the place name element ‘thwaite’.
Road signs for Twatt on Orkney are a bit of a tourist attraction, with many posing with the arrow pointing in their direction.
Well, you said it.
The name regularly features in round-ups of the rudest place names in the UK, alongside Bitchfield, Wetwang, Shitterton, and Fingringhoe.
Blue-green algae exists in fresh water and can collect to form ‘blooms’, which look like paint in the water or along the shoreline.
It can be toxic and cause adverse medical effects such as:
Blue-green algae has also been known to cause death in livestock and dogs.
The behaviour of the algae is erratic and its level of toxicity can fluctuate.
It can appear one day, then be dispersed by the wind, and mix and reaccumulate at any time.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Privacy Policy
Get us in your feed
