PEOPLE are being warned to stay out of the water at a popular beauty spot after a boy was taken ill.

It was reported to Christchurch and East Dorset District Council that a 13-year-old boy had fallen ill after swimming in the River Stour at Eye Bridge near Wimborne.

The issue was reported to the National Trust which has since installed a sign warning people to stay out of the water - and to keep their dogs out of the water as well.

According to a National Trust spokesman the contamination of the water is a result of cattle, who access the river further upstream to drink.

She added: "Eye Bridge is a popular spot for wild swimming locally – however the quality of the water can vary with the flow of the river, and can be affected by run off from the fields that are grazed by livestock. "

Andrew Hunt, outdoor manager for the Kingston Lacy Estate, said: "Eye Bridge is a lovely spot for a picnic, but the Stour itself is not always a healthy place to swim, particularly in hot weather.

"Livestock, including cattle graze by, and drink from, the river and the water can be contaminated as a result.

"Notices are in place advising people not to swim in the river."

According to Wimborne resident Jodie Webster it's not just people who have been taken ill - it has affected dogs as well.

"We know there is one dog which is seriously ill at the vets after jumping in the river," said Jodie.

"There is a sign up warning people to stay out of the water, but it's very small and could easily miss it.

"Fortunately when my mum was walking our dog down there she was stopped by another woman who warned her about the water.

"It's a very popular spot, especially in the summer, and I think people need more than a small sign to warn them."

Shane Bartlett, who sits on East Dorset District Council and Wimborne Town Council, said: "As a beauty spot the Eye Bridge has always been popular as a swimming area.

"But parents have to be aware that there are dangers when the river gets as low as it is now."