Pictures show city centre canal turning luminous green as residents baffled

New Islington residents have been left scratching their heads after a city centre canal was spotted glowing a luminous green this afternoon.

The mysterious sight was seen on the Ashton canal at around 3pm on Tuesday afternoon (August 22). Pictures show a stretch of canal between the Chips building and Lampwick Quay with clouds of glowing bright green water.

Locals were quick to joke about the potential causes, with some blaming aliens, while others suggested St Patrick's Day had come a little (or a lot) late this year.

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"The grass got too wet and the colour ran off it," one resident commented on the pictures in a local Facebook group.

"Looks like someone went toe to toe with a Predator and won and this is it's blood...," said another.

Some offered some more down to earth explanations for the glow, suggesting it could be dye used to highlight leaks in the surrounding buildings.

One commented: "It'll be drain dye it's perfectly safe for wildlife and watercourses if it is that. It's designed to be vibrant to spot where waters coming out / flowing as it could be in poopy muddy water or clean clear."

The Environment Agency said the issue hadn't been reported to them.