A mystery white foam appeared in the River Irwell this morning - and people are trying to figure out what caused it.
Pictures and video clips showed the white substance drifting down the water in Manchester city centre. It was spotted running down the river near Bridge Street.
Several people also took photos of the substance, which appeared to be foamy and bubbly. But what is it?
A similar substance was spotted running down the same river in 2019.
At the time, the Environment Agency (EA) said it was aware of foam pollution in the River Roch and further downstream in the Irwell. But the cause was unclear.
In April last year, an investigation was launched to find out why a 2km stretch of the river appeared to be foamy. Photographs taken from Burrs Country Park in Bury showed the affected stretch of water and one local said they had 'never seen it as bad'.
The Manchester Evening News contacted the Environment Agency again today about the foamy River Irwell. A spokesperson said a 'white foam pollution' had been reported to them.
An investigation is underway. The Environment Agency spokesperson said: "We would like to thank members of the public for reporting a white foam pollution to us on the River Irwell, in Manchester.
“Our teams are currently investigating this further. As a regulator we are unable to comment further as this time in order not to prejudice our inquiry.
“Members of the public can report environmental incidents to our 24/7 incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”
Our photographer went down to the Irwell this afternoon near Bridge Street and the river appeared clear. The foam has gone, but for now, the mystery continues.
If you think you know what it is, let us know in the comments.
Read more of today's top stories here
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