STEPS are being taken to ensure water pumped from a model boating lake does not contain toxic algae.

The alarm was raised after a family's pet labrador, "Albie", died in May from acute shock hours after he ate a contaminated substance near the leisure facility on Hoylake promenade.

The mystery "green slime" was sent to the Public Analysist for testing but according to Wirral Council, the results have proved inconclusive.

The authority also says it is unknown precisely how the algae came to be on the beach in the first place.

The dog's owner, Richard Addyman, is concerned the slime was in fact hazardous blue-green alage.

Now as a precaution Hoylake Model Boat Club is being asked to provide a plan detailing how it will manage its lake cleansing and water changing processes in the future.

Councillor Chris Meaden, cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said: “What has happened to this family’s pet is terribly sad.

"But even after detailed testing of the substance that was found on the beach at Hoylake, it is not possible to say with any certainty that it could have caused the death.

"The substance was identified as algae, but the type of algae could not be established due to its state of decomposition.

“In addition to arranging the tests on the substance, officers from the council’s Environmental Health team have also tried to establish how the substance may have come to be on the beach in the first place.

"Although again it is impossible to be certain, purely as a precautionary measure, we have asked the group that runs the model boating lake at Hoylake to put together a plan to detail how they will manage the facility going forward.

"This will be looked at by council officers, including those from the environmental health team.”

Mr Addyman said: "The environmental agency needed to know what toxin was in the deposit so that they could dispose of the contaminated sand safely.

"I was informed it was a neurotoxin, but that they didn't know if it came from salt or freshwater algae.

"Blue-green algae is freshwater, this is the one that is a serious hazard to dogs.

"I think there is more than enough circumstantial evidence alone of blue-green poisoning."

The Department of Health website says blue-green algae can become "very abundant" in warm, shallow, undisturbed surface water that receives a lot of sunlight. When this occurs, they form blooms.

Consuming water containing high levels of blue-green algal toxins affects the liver and nervous system in animals and people.

Livestock and pet deaths have occurred when animals swallowed large amounts of accumulated algal scum from along shorelines.