The Aberdeen park ponds at the centre of a pollution probe have been cleaned by council workers after a deluge of dead leaves blocked them.
Concerns have repeatedly been raised that the water feature at Westburn Park has become polluted in recent years.
Two years ago, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) launched a probe into reports of sanitary products and other rubbish being found in the waterways of Westburn Park.
Most recently dead leaves have blocked the waterway, but these have now been cleaned.
Midstocket and Rosemount councillor, Bill Cormie, blamed the predicament on council cutbacks which has resulted in regular maintenance being dropped in recent years.
He said: “At one time, the ponds were cleaned out every Friday but this has changed since the cutbacks.
“It has emerged that the issue of the blue film was caused by decaying leaves and I welcome the investigation that discovered this.
“I also welcome the early intervention this year, with the ponds being cleaned-out before they got into the state they have been in previous years.”
A council spokeswoman added: “Over autumn and winter, dead leaves will find their way into the pond, particularly in a park that has so many mature trees.
“It happens every year and every year we clear them.
“We do not have the resource to clean more often but we do check regularly for any broken glass or large items such as traffic cones, which may have found their way into the pond.”
