South West Water has said a full investigation has been carried out into suspected water pollution in Falmouth.

It comes as dog owners were urged not to let their animals drink from watercourses, after one dog reportedly needed specialist veterinary treatment in Bristol after drinking water from a stream in the Bickland Water area of Falmouth.

A representative of South West Water confirmed that the company had been made aware of a suspected polluted water course there two days before Christmas and an investigation had been carried out at the Bickland Water stream running through Tregoniggie Woodland.

However, the spokesperson told the Packet: "We did check our network and walked the entire length of the stream, and everything was operating as it should so we do not believe there is any issue with our infrastructure in that area."

A poster has been put out on social media warning: “Keep your dogs out of the water. Several dogs in the area have been seriously ill over the past week after being in or drinking out of Bickland Water – sewage has been detected in the waterway.”

It urges anyone who spots suspected water contamination to report it to the Environment Agency.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency confirmed that they had also been alerted to a dog being taken ill after drinking from a stream in Falmouth on December 23. The agency contacted South West Water, who confirmed none of its assets were operating outside its permitted conditions.

"Heavy rainfall can trigger the operation of combined sewer outflows and increase the run-off of sediment into watercourses. We advise owners not to allow their pets to drink from watercourses, particularly after heavy rainfall.

"If you see anything which looks like pollution in any river, please report it to our 24/7 incident hotline on 0800 807060," said the spokesperson.

It has also been claimed that Stithians Lake contains blue-green algae, which can be harmful to dogs and could potentially be fatal. This led to a further allegation that another dog needed treatment after drinking water from the lake.

The EA spokesperson confirmed that a report of blue-green algae at Stithians Reservoir was made to them on December 11 and the South West Lakes Trust was contacted to confirm its presence.

"However, the presence of any algae remains unsubstantiated," said the spokesperson.