'It could be fatal' - warning about poisonous 'Dead Man's Fingers' plant on Cumbria's beaches
There are warnings about the potentially fatal danger posed by highly poisonous plants that have washed up on several beaches on the West Cumbrian coast.
The appearance of Hemlock Water Dropwort, also known as 'Dead Man's Fingers', is linked to the heavy rainfall in Cumbria at the end of October.
Mysterious Rash
After Gaynor May took her dog Eric for a walk on Haverigg beach, she came back with more than just sand in her shoes. She was soon covered in a mysterious rash.
She said: "It was like pinpricks all over my legs, all over my back and it wouldn't stop itching. It was painful because I had to scratch it. The pressure to itch it was there all the time and I had to scratch it. And it ended up with my legs bleeding and I hadn't got a clue what it was."
Gaynor later remembered spotting something peculiar washed up among the pebbles and seaweed on the beach.
After looking online, Gaynor realised what it was.
Hemlock Water Dropwort
Hemlock Water Dropwort is highly poisonous and was reported by the coastguard at the start of November at Millom and further up the coast at St Bees.
That was followed by sightings at Seascale, Harrington near Workington and Parton near Whitehaven.
Dr Gill Notman is an aquatic ecologist at the University of Cumbria.
She said: "Hemlock water dropwort is one of the most poisonous plants in the UK which has tuberous roots that look a little bit like parsnip. If you do ingest them they're likely to cause issues with seizures and vomiting and diarrhoea. You may have breathing difficulties and heart problems and ultimately it leads to death in around 30-70% of cases."
Hemlock Water Dropwort grows around the country, usually on river banks. It's only after heavy rainfall raises the river levels, it washes out, and eventually makes its way to the coast - explaining the recent sightings.
Although it wasn't immediately visible at Parton on this occasion, there was evidence of other species washed down by the river. A sign, perhaps, that there's more to come.
Allerdale Borough Council confirmed it was notified of the plant being washed up on beaches in recent days.
That is concerning not just for humans, but also for animals, like Gaynor's dog Eric.
Hemlock Water Dropwort presents a very real danger on our coastline.
And while the plants may come and go with heavy rainfall, the damage they inflict is a lot harder to wash away.
Read more: