Campaigner Matt Staniek has been raising the alarm about the impact of sewage in the famous lake in the Lake District.

A zoologist campaigning for Lake Windermere to be granted extra environmental protections has warned the rise in sewage being dumped there is the 'epitome' of the problems facing all of Britain's waterways.

As dawn broke over Windermere on Tuesday, Pete Kelly set off in his kayak from the north shore of England’s biggest natural lake, armed with three test tubes. The water did not look tremendously inviting, a film of luminous green algae lapping up on the shingle beach at Waterhead. You should have seen it last week before the rains came, he said: “All of the water up this end was really dense and green.”

Tests show levels of blue-green algae at the Lake District tourism hotspot are higher than recommended, posing ‘a massive health risk’

Blue-green algae, which can be poisonous to humans and animals, formed on Lake Windermere in abundance as recent heatwaves coupled with masses of human effluent created the ideal conditions for its growth.

The sun is shining and in a scene that could have been plucked from an Arthur Ransome novel, dozens of children are swimming at one of the best bathing spots in Windermere.

Harmful algae blooms across the whole of England's largest lake could cause hundreds of thousands of fish to die, a zoologist has warned.

Matt Staniek said Windermere, in the Lake District, was "horrendous" and had turned a "horrible" green colour.

The blue-green blooms can make humans ill and can be fatal to animals.

SHOCKING pictures and videos have emerged showing the extent of blue-green algae blooms have taken over one of England's most famous lakes.

Prolonged high temperatures have seen harmful algae blooms spread across the "entirety" of England's largest lake, a campaigner has warned.

Council leaders have urged swimmers and dog-walkers to stay out of Lake Windermere because of the potentially toxic algae covering the water's surface - after experts warned that fish in the lake are choking to death and rivers and canals across 'Tinderbox Britain' turned green during the heatwave.

Windermere is dying and people swimming in it have been exposed to potentially toxic algal blooms, according to one passionate eco campaigner.

Lake Windermere, in Cumbria, has turned green because of toxic algae blooms worsened by last week’s heatwave. Local resident Matt Staniek’s petition to save Windermere from “sewage and an environmental catastrophe” has amassed over 130,000 signatures.