HUNDREDS of water sports enthusiasts have been banned from using stretches of water at Eastleigh Council's Lakeside Country Park after a pollution scare.

Warning signs were due to go up today after routine water quality tests revealed abnormally high levels of harmful bacteria.

The council has closed the lakes at the 60-acre beauty spot off wide Lane to certain water sports with immediate effect.

Use of the lakes for activities involving a high probability of immersion in water - canoeing and windsurfing - have been prohibited until further notice.

Angling and sailing is set to continue but the council is warning anyone using the lakes to take the normal precautions for preventing bacterial infection, including washing hands before eating or smoking and covering any cuts.

A spokesman said the bacteria could cause nausea, sickness and diarrhoea.

"If anyone does feel ill, our advice is to seek medical advice and tell your doctor that you have been to a place where there was a potential problem with high levels of bacteria."

The popular lakes - formed after major gravel extraction for construction of the M27 motor-way - have been open for informal recreational use since the mid-1980s. But the area was more recently turned into a country park.

The stretches of water are used every day from May to December by local schools, outdoor centres, Scout groups, model boat clubs and other groups.

Eastleigh's countryside services manager Phil Lomax said: "The council's environmental health unit is currently awaiting results of further tests, which will help us to pinpoint the cause of the problem.

"Once the source is identified we will act quickly to tackle it and will re-open the lakes as soon as tests show it is safe to do so. We are contact-ing all local groups who use the lakes and erect-ing warning signs."

Mr Lomax was hoping for plenty of sunshine because ultra-violet light destroys the problem bacteria. But he stressed only water activities were affected at the country park and all other activities were operating as normal.

Prior to 1999, Lakeside consistently won the Solent Water Quality Award and director of the Southampton Water Activity Centre John Thorn said the good water quality record made the current problem all the more mysterious.

The centre - which runs curriculum courses in outdoor activities for Southampton and Hampshire schools - has 600 to 700 bookings a year at Lakeside for sailing and windsurfing.

Mr Thorn said it was currently uncertain how the centre would be affected by the closure of the lakes because it was unclear how long they would be out of action.

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