A warning has been issued to dog owners after a worrying discovery in a Merseyside park.
There has been several avian flu, or 'bird flu', cases across the region in recent weeks, with the most recent suspected outbreak coming on Willow Park, Newton-le-Willows with dead birds found on the park's lake.
The risk level has been raised in the area by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or DEFRA.
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There were also reports of dead geese and swans in the nearby Sankey Canal waterway recently.
Councillor for Newton-le-Willows Seve Gomez-Aspron said in a Facebook post: "There is a strong chance that birds found dead in local parks recently died from Bird Flu.
"The risk to humans is very low. But humans and pets can spread the virus through parks etc.
"You should: Avoid public watercourses, lakes, canals and ponds, keep pets on a lead to keep them out of the water, report any dead birds to DEFRA on their website or to environmentalhealth@sthelens.gov.uk, wash down boots, pets etc if you’ve been for a walk with fresh water at home.
"It’s easier to just avoid the areas. Signs will be put up in the coming days."
The ECHO recently reported how Spike Island in nearby Widnes had seen devastating swan deaths in a suspected bird flu case, with 20 swan deaths and four dead Canadian geese.
Earlier this month, the government confirmed that 500,000 captive birds were culled in the UK due to a record bird flu outbreak.
