Suspected palm oil washes up on West Sussex beach
Warnings have been issued to dog walkers and other pet owners
Dog walkers are being urged to take care along the West Sussex coastline after lumps of what are believed to be palm oil washed up there.
Lumps of the substances were discovered by coastal wardens in Worthing last week.
Palm oil can get into the marine environment after being released by ships offshore and then being carried to the coastline by the tide.
It can become contaminated with waste products which can cause serious health problems to wildlife, dogs and humans if ingested.
Wayne, a coastal warden working for Worthing Borough Council, said:
"If you happen to see any, please make sure you keep your dogs on a lead so they can't eat it! Following this, please report it to a member of the Councils and we will clean it up as soon as we can.
"In most cases, consuming palm oil shouldn't kill, but it can make them very seriously ill and in rare cases, it can be fatal.
"It's an oil-based product, the dog absorbs the oil and it leads to a disease called pancreatitis and it's this which causes all the problems."
Those who think they may have found some of the substance, but are uncertain, are asked to take photos of the location and email coastal.office@adur-worthing.gov.uk.
They can also contact the Coastal Office on 01903 238977.