Rochford District Council has issued a warning to residents of suspected blue-green algae at a Park.

The councill urged those visiting Cherry Orchard Park, in Rochford, to stay clear of the ponds and to keep their dogs on leads when they are anywhere near them.

A spokesman said: “The algae can produce toxins which can harm, or even kill, animals and cause skin rashes, eye irritation, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and muscle and joint pain in people.

“The council is in the process of putting up warning signs at the country park and will post updates on their social media sites.”

Councillor Arthur Williams, of St Andrews ward, said: “A lot of people access the park so pet owners need to make sure they keep their pets away from the pond.

“Blue-green algae comes when the weather is hot. We had the algae problem last year because we had a very hot summer.”

Mark Iley, biodiversity coordinator of Essex Wildlife Trust, told The Echo certain water conditions trigger algae to multiply at a faster rate.

He said: “Cherry Orchard Country Park has had the algae before. It’s a naturally occurring phenomenon and it happens to ponds that are shallow. Shallow waters heat up quicker than deep waters and the algae thrives in hot temperatures.

“The pond also has a lot of ducks and they leave behind faeces in the pond and the algae feed on them. Some park users feed the ducks so that’s why they’re always at the pond. The algae is dangerous for both humans and animals. We recommend park users to be careful not to have any contact with the water. The algae will go away when the colder weather kicks in. We have plans to work with Rochford Council to develop strategies to tackle the problem.”

The new project will involving growing vegetation that would absorb the bacteria in a natural process to reduce the algae. Councillor Dave Sperring, responsible for environment at Rochford Council, said: “This is a thing of nature but it doesn’t happen regularly to our pond. We look forward to working together with Essex Wildlife Trust for the benefit of residents.”