Birmingham canal turns bright green - but it’s not for St Patrick’s Day

Walkers were baffled after a canal in Birmingham turned bright green - but it turns out there's an innocent explanation. 

Shocked locals stumbled across the vivid water just in time for St Patrick's Day but the colouring has a technical purpose.

Around 8.5 miles of water from the Walsall Canal to Salford Junction has been dyed to spot for potential leaks. Social media users were quick to comment on the dye, with one saying: "Someone has been chucking chip shop mushy peas into the cut."

While another joked: "Dyed green for St Patrick's Day." A third joked: "Environmentally friendly water. If it was any other colour it would be more taxable...".

The Canal & River Trust West Midlands said the colour would disperse over several days. The trust stressed the dye was environmentally friendly and was harmless to wildlife.

A spokesperson for the charity said: "The charity, Canal & River Trust, recently dyed a section of the Tame Valley Canal in Birmingham to check for leaks along this stretch of canal. 

"The dye helps us identify if we have any leaks and if these leaks are coming from the canal or another water source. The dye just makes the water easier to see so we can track it. The dye is environmentally friendly so it won’t cause any harm to the fish and bird populations and should naturally disperse and dilute over a few days."

Urgent testing of the water began after locals near the Gorse Farm safety gate in Hamstead noticed water coming into their gardens. An update on the Trust's website said: "There has been no obvious source of a leak discovered and monitoring has not determined conclusively the source of the water.

"Stop planks will remain in place to contain the dye and prevent dispersal over a number of days."