Experts have revealed why the River Trent in a UK city suddenly turned an alarming shade of electric blue and orange as a warning was issued to pet owners.

They said the reason for the dramatic change in colour was because of a series of clothing dyes which were accidentally released into the water near Stoke-on-Trent.

The Environment Agency said it was aware of the unusual colour changes when reports emerged of the river turning electric blue in one area and bright orange in another.

The exact location of the spill or the colour changes has not been revealed as the Environment Agency continues its investigation.

It added while the colour change could appear concerning, its impact on the local environment will not be as bad as feared.

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It said that no fish or wildlife had been distressed and water samples showed no cause for concern.

Despite this, the agency said people and pets should avoid the water whilst it was blue and orange and they should contact the Environment Agency if they had any concerns.

In a statement on Twitter, they said: “We’re aware of discolouration of the River Trent in Stoke-on-Trent caused by the accidental release of clothing dyes.

“No fish or wildlife are in distress but we recommend people and pets avoid the water whilst the colour remains.”

The agency has not confirmed where the dyes originated from.

This isn’t the first-time dye has accidentally entered public waters.

In Japan, tourists were shocked when they saw the normally crystal blue waters of their seaside report had turned blood red.

Videos and photos of the incident quickly went viral as the public asked questions about what had caused the change.

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As more and more people began to take notice, a local brewery revealed they had been responsible for the colour change.

They said it had been caused by a leak at one of their plants and that the water posed no threat to animal or human life.

In a statement, Orion Breweries said: “We believe it was caused by the leakage of propylene glycol – a food additive listed in enforcement regulations of the Food Sanitation Act – contained in cooling water used to cool our factory facilities.

“We believe the leaked cooling water flowed into a river through a rain gutter, causing the sea to turn red.”

Later, the brewery said they had found and plugged the leak. They continued to apologise for the “inconvenience and enormous trouble and worry” and said they worked with authorities to take “countermeasures”.

A spokesperson for the Japanese Coastguard told CNN that seawater was still red the day after the leak.

Propylene glycol, the chemical which leaked, is commonly used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. The USA’s Food and Drug Administration said it is “generally recognised as safe” in food.

Just before this leak, residents of Dunraven Bay in Brigend, received a shock when they saw their ocean turn neon blue in the middle of the night. The cause was later found to be a large group of plankton.

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