Urgent warning to parents after kids seen ‘eating toxic plant' at Scots country park
WEED WARNING Urgent warning to parents after kids seen 'eating toxic plant' at Scots country park
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AN URGENT warning has been issued to parents after youngsters were reportedly seen eating a toxic plant.
The alarming reports came in at the Palacerigg Country Park in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire.
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The warning was issued at Palacerigg Country Park
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Kids were seen picking up ragwort
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The plant is toxic and can be harmful
Credit: Alamy
A member of the public raised the alarm after seeing youngsters picking up Ragwort.
They even reportedly saw one child eating it.
The toxic yellow weed is found in the park and can be harmful if ingested.
It can be mildly harmful to humans but can kill livestock such as horses if they swallow it.
Some people can also have allergic reactions to it and end up with irritated skin.
A post from the Palacerigg Community Trust initially warned parents about the situation.
They then followed up with a second post issuing advice about the Countryside Code and how to stay safe in the park.
It read: "We were attempting to educate as we had received a phone call from a concerned member of the public regarding young children picking and on one occasion eating Ragwort, which is toxic when ingested.
"This was never meant as a Ragwort is a "bad plant" post. We have tried our best to rephrase this post in a positive light, so as still to educate people who are not as countryside savvy, but are out enjoying Palacerigg and who may require the guidance to avoid situations such as that reported."
Part of the advice they issued urged people not to pick wildflowers.
What does hogweed look like?
They warned people could unknowingly pick up a poisonous plant.
Their post continued: "It might seem harmless to pick a few blooms, but it can damage fragile ecosystems.
"Many wildflowers are vital for pollinators like bees and butterflies, and some are even protected species.
"Removing them can reduce biodiversity and affect the balance of nature.
"Some plants have natural defences including thorns and being toxic when ingested, so can also be harmful to humans and animals."
People visiting the park have also been urged not to wander of the footpaths to protect wildlife.
They also were told to keep dogs on a lead which could stress or injure animals.
Punters visiting the park were also told not to light any fires amid the horrific wildfires which have broken out across the country.
We told in April how a horrific wildfire broke out at Palacerigg Country Park which was visible for miles.
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