Dog owners have been put on alert after suspected palm oil washed up on a Merseyside beach.

Lumps of the waxy substance were located on Egremont beach in Wirral after reports to Wirral Coastguard Rescue Team.

Palm oil is widely used in the food industry but when dumped at sea it can become toxic.

The coastguard said dogs could be attracted to the smell and might try to eat it – and if it was ingested it could cause a fatal reaction.

Rescue officers attended the beach earlier and located a number of lumps of the substance along the beach.

Some of the larger pieces were bagged and removed from the beach for collection and disposal by Wirral Council.

The coastguard said: “Please take extra care when walking dogs on the beach over the next couple of days.

“Further pieces may still be present or could wash ashore with subsequent tides.

“Keep dogs and children away from any unusual waxy or oily substances and avoid handling them with bare hands.”

In January 2020, the National Trust issued a warning when a dog died after eating palm oil on Formby beach in Sefton.