Huge palm oil lump that is lethal to dogs washes up on Cornwall beach

A dog walker has warned of a huge lump of palm oil that has been washed up by the sea on a popular Cornish beach.He said "the lump came up to my knees" when he spotted it on Perranporth beach, below the dunes past Perran Sands Holiday Park.

Although not a risk to humans, palm oil is lethal to dogs.

Fortunately, the man realised what it was and ensured his pet kept well away, but has urged other dog owners who use the beach to exercise their dogs to be wary of letting them near it.He said: "I knew what it was straight away because I’ve read and heard about it so many times but had never seen it myself.

"I was a bit shocked at how massive it was though.

"It was like a boulder, with a couple of bits broken off, but it came up to my knee and was twice as high as my size 11 boots.

"I had to shout at my dog to get away but luckily she wasn’t that interested.

"I know and understand it can be very dangerous for them to eat, maybe even deadly.

"This time of year there weren’t many people and pets around on a rainy day but at other times that spot would be heaving with dogs and owners and children, who would definitely be curious about it."

What is palm oil?Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp of the fruit of the oil palms.

The oil is used in food manufacturing, beauty products, and as biofuel.It is sometimes legally released at sea by ships.

Palm oil can become contaminated with other waste products and because it is edible it can be attractive to some animals who can become ill after coming into contact with it.

It's a semi-solid oil that appears in white lumps and is waxy in appearance - although can appear in any colour. It has a distinctive smell, most likened to diesel.

Dog walkers are being urged to be aware of what it looks and smells like to keep pets safe.