MYSTERIOUS orange water has started flooding the outskirts of a town again.

The murky liquid first appeared on the bottom part of Knotts Lane, Colne in the winter of 2017/2018.

The heavy rains this week have brought back the orange coloured floods but the cause remains unknown in spite of investigations in the past year by United Utilities, Lancashire County and Pendle Councils.

Waterside Colne Town Councillor Alice Mann, who lives on Knotts Lane, said : "The orange water has again been gushing up out of the gully grates at the bottom of Hawley Street, and pouring along Knotts Lane in front of the new shops by the viaduct.

"The various bodies have been trying to sort it out but we are all very worried and hope it will be sorted out very quickly.”

Pendle borough representative for Waterside Cllr Tony Greaves, said: “Pendle Council has taken the lead in analysing the water.

"There is a lot of iron, and aluminium and manganese.

" It’s thought this is coming from the rocks and soil on the hillside above, and is not a serious danger to health, but just where it is coming from is so far a mystery. It seems it is not from the ordinary network of drains in the streets above.”

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "We have noted the orange water during previous flood events.

"However a study to identify where this enters the system would be unlikely to receive priority unless it was confirmed to be causing a problem."

A spokeswoman for Pendle Council said tests by its environmental health department had confirmed the discolouration was not a public health risk.

The county council spokesman added: "We are aware that under flood conditions, when the river level is particularly high, water does flow back up the highway gullies on Knotts Lane due to the shallow fall on the outflow pipe from these gullies into the river."