Dog dies after eating deadly plant on Lyme Regis beach

Lula, an 18-month-old collie-Labrador cross, was being walked by a dog walker on Bank Holiday Monday.

Her owner, Lyme resident Dr Kirsten Young, works for Greenpeace and Exeter University and was working in the Azores in Portugal.

Flora Bamford, 60, a family friend, received a panicked call from Kirsten after hearing that Lula had become ill whilst on a walk.

The pet had eaten the roots of hemlock water dropwort, known as "dead man's fingers".

The Hemlock Water Dropwort plant (Image: Wikimedia)

The discovery of the plant has led to Lyme Regis Town Council ordering workers to remove the plant from the bank of the River Lim and sending out warning letters to landowners.

Flora said: "Kirsten had just flown to Portugal where she works.

"She had a dog sitter take Lula down to Church Beach.

"I got a call from Kirsten, she said the dog sitter had rung in panic and Lula was having fits and spasms.

"She had been walking on the beach and eaten something which turned out to be hemlock water dropwarts root.

"It is really dangerous, the time between eating that plant and her being affected was only 15 minutes.

"People were amazing, a man emptied his beach trolley and put Lula in it.

"I picked them up from the clock tower and managed to get her into my car.

"I went to drive to Axminster vets and she was having awful fits and blood was coming out of her mouth.

"Lula died before we made it to the A35.

"It was awful, in about 40 minutes from eating the plant, she was dead."

The Hemlock Water Dropwort has been described by experts as Britain's most toxic plant, no British plant had been responsible for more fatal accidents.

The root of the hemlock water dropwort on Church Beach (Image: Flora Bamford)

People have died from ingesting it in the past.

Flora added: "The vet didn't even know what it was, the dog sitter went back to the beach and managed to find the remains of the plant.

"It grows on the River Lim, it is the roots that are dangerous to both dogs and humans.

"A storm must have blown them all onto the beach.

"Who knows how much of it there is on there but it is so worrying because it is a popular beach for dogs."

Lyme Regis Town Council said its workers have started clearing the plants from the riverbank and have informed landowners of its dangers.

Mark Green, deputy town clerk at Lyme Regis Town Council said: "We have never had any serious occurrence in the past like this from this plant, it is fair to describe it as a one-off.

"It came as a huge shock to everybody.

"The River Lim is not our responsibility, however we are clearing this plant from the river bank wherever we are able to.

"We have also put together a letter, which we are handing to all landowners adjoining the river, which provides information about the plant and its potential risks.

"We are requesting that they do not cut it and throw it into the river.

"We are also putting up signs, warning people to look out for this plant."