A YEAR long study is underway that could signal the end to stinking weed and swarming midges at Poole Park lake - but scientists need your help.

Lake research is being undertaken by Bournemouth University whose team is appealing for the public to get involved and help them.

This is the first major piece of work being undertaken with the £285,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, in advance of hopefully securing £2.9million to improve the park.

At the first public event since the successful first stage, residents and visitors were able to find out more.

“Everybody has their own interest in the lake. It means different things to different people,” said Adrian Pinder, director of Global Environmental Solutions, Bournemouth University.

“Trying to manage it and keep all these people happy is extremely challenging.”

Water quality in the 60 acre lake, which varies from freshwater to seawater, depending on the opening of the sluice gates which flush it from the harbour, is crucial.

They will be finding out what lives in and on the lake and are asking people to take photos of water levels on gauge boards, if there are any pollution incidents and dead fish.

“If people could contribute to data on our Facebook page, that gives us our best chance of picking these things up,” he said (facebook.com/pooleprojects).

Martin Whitchurch, project leader, environmental development team, Borough of Poole, said: “We still need to fundraise a further £50,000 through events, corporate sponsorship and donations and we hope people are going to help us.”

Helen Annels from nearby Orchard Avenue took along daughters Holly, 13, and Natalie, 11, to learn about the science and she was hoping solutions could be found to the insects and smelly weed.

“The smell is horrendous,” she said. “The insects come into our houses and we have to keep the windows closed. One of our neighbours has lived in the road since the 1950s and she said it never used to be like this.”

Friends of Poole Park member and bid volunteer Eunice Marsden said: “We need to find options and have full public consultation as to what people want. The lottery will want to see the public are happy with it.”

Mike Heckford, FoPP treasurer and bid volunteer, said: “We have got to be very, very careful to make sure that the money is spent wisely and not wasted.”