A RED flag warning for toxic algae at beaches along the north coast has been removed, but bathers have been warned to remain vigilant in the days ahead.
Department for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs (DAERA) staff have been testing water samples at beaches after detecting blue-green algae at several sites this month.
It was confirmed on Sunday that the algae - which is harmful to human health and potentially fatal to dogs - was detected at Downhill Strand beach, leading to a red flag warning being issued.
Last week saw the warnings put in place for nearby Castlerock and Portstewart Strand beaches.
However, on Monday DAERA confirmed that testing from all affected north coast beaches - Castlerock, Portstewart, Benone and Downhill - showed that the algae had dispersed, meaning the waters were once again safe for bathers.
A DAERA spokesperson said: "The local bathing water operators have confirmed that all red flag warnings have now been removed.
"However, small pockets of scum and residue of the algae may still be on the shoreline and people should remain careful not to let their dogs ingest such material."
They added that DAERA staff will resume weekly monitoring of the water at the popular beaches, and urged members of the public to report potential sightings of blue-green algae using the free-to-download Bloomin' Algae smartphone app.
Since the algae was detected at the beaches, north coast MLAs have called for more to be done to protect the coastline from the toxic bacteria, which has been linked to climate change.
Blue-green algae has been linked to the deaths of up to seven dogs this year in areas including Lough Neagh and Lough Mevlin in Co Fermanagh.
