More than 300 carcasses removed from Stonehaven beach
The local authority expect will be washed ashore
More than 300 carcasses have been removed from Stonehaven beach today (Monday).
It's due to suspected bird flu, with photos on social media appearing over the past week of a number of dead birds on the popular beach.
A spokesperon for Aberdeenshire Council said: : "Our teams have been closely monitoring the number of deaths in the bird population over recent days across the region.
"We have activated our strategy to begin removing carcasses from our shoreline, with around 330 birds having already been removed from Stonehaven beach today.
"The council has finite resources, but we will look to remove large concentrations of birds from popular areas of highest footfall. People should be aware, however, that there will inevitably be more birds washed ashore with each tide so beaches may not be cleared entirely.
"We work closely with APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) whose general advice is to leave dead or sick birds in situ where natural processes will result in the breakdown of the carcasses.
"The risk of catching avian influenza from dead or dying birds is extremely low, however due to other diseases such as salmonella which wild birds can carry, the advice is to leave the birds in-situ.
"Keep pets and children away from any dead or sick birds and don't touch wild bird feathers or surfaces contaminated with droppings."