Dog owners are being advised not to let their dogs swim in a County Armagh lake.
Warning notices have been put up by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council at key locations in Lurgan Park due to an increase in the natural occurring blue green algae in the lake.
The Chief Veterinary Officer for the Department of Agriculture Northern Ireland has endorsed the statement that the toxin which may be produced by the algae is poisonous to animals and can cause severe illness and death. 
Pet owners should therefore ensure that their animals do not have access to the lake.
Algae is naturally present in the lake, however due to the weather conditions, water temperature and nutrients in the water, the natural growth of blue-green algae can take place, forming algal blooms.
Research in 1993 by the Department of Agriculture for NI, has indicated that blue-green algae are present in the majority of fresh water bodies throughout Northern Ireland for most of the year and have the potential to form blooms.
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