Brightlingsea boating lake – off limits for four months after blue-green algae was found in the water – has been given the all-clear.

Test resuts completed in the last few days showed that the Promenade Way lake is now free of the toxic algae, which can kill domestic pets and cause skin rashes on humans.

Brightlingsea Town Council has carried out extensive work to try and rid the lake of the algae – including flushing it out on high tides via a sluice and using a device to mechanically churn the water.

The algae prevented the 4th Brightlingsea Scouts running its fund-raising rowing boat hire, and use by the Brightlingsea Model Boat Club – members’ boats were on back on the lake this week.

Brightlingsea mayor Chris Paveley praised the work of its grounds manager, Terry Hamilton, for his “incredible amount of effort over recent weeks, including working several nights and early mornings during high tides to flush the lake and clear the algae”.

“On behalf of the council, I would like to express our gratitude for his hard work and commitment in resolving this issue,” added Cllr Pavely.