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A dog owner wants fellow animal lovers to be aware of the "most dangerous plant" in the country after it is believed to have caused the death of his Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Stuart Good was walking his beloved pooch Ella when she ran into some bushes and then let out an alarming yelp.

When he returned home, 61-year-old Stuart noticed a pound-coin sized blister under Ella's leg that then continued to grow.

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A Birkenhead vet subsequently confirmed the injuries had been caused by giant hogweed, which has been dubbed "Britain's most dangerous plant".

Clive, 49, told the Liverpool Echo that he and his friend Stuart want to warn other dog lovers to keep their pets on a lead and stick to paths during park walks.

He said: "The vets said 'that's definitely giant hogweed, we can prescribe pain killers but there's no cure for this.

"We're just going to have to wait. You'll know when the time is right, and that's when the pain becomes too much for Ella and we have to say goodbye'."

Giant hogweed is an enormous cow parsley-like plant that can cause burns to dogs and humans.

The sap is one of the most notable parts of the plant and if it gets onto your skin can cause huge blisters which can recur over months and even years.

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In the weeks after Ella first went to the vets, Clive said the blister grew to the point where it was half of her side as one great big open wound.

Clive added. "Stuart loved the dog so much he had her in bed with him to keep her comfortable. It was devastating for him."

Sadly, Stuart made the difficult decision to have 13-year-old Ella put down.

A spokesperson for the Land Trust said: "The Land Trust has been made aware of an unfortunate incident involving a dog and has reached out to the individual for more information. We are not aware of any giant hogweed, which can be dangerous, at Port Sunlight River Park.

"We do have common hogweed which is a common native plant and is often confused for giant hogweed – which is a non-native invasive species. Common hogweed does not cause any issues to the public or their pets and can often be found in our parks in meadows, woodland, along hedgerows, verges and roadsides."

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