CONCERNS over use of the herbicide Glyphosate were dismissed by Bournemouth council this week.

At a meeting on Tuesday Green Party councillor Simon Bull said the chemical, commonly known as Roundup after its original trade name, had been linked by research to cancer.

"It is suspected of being carcinogenic, and is believed to cause bees, essential pollinators, to starve," he said, asking whether the council had followed his urging at a previous meeting to reduce its usage of the chemical.

Also, he urged the council to publish where the chemical was being sprayed so residents can avoid the area if they wish.

Cllr Mike Green, cabinet member for waste and street cleansing, acknowledged that a 2015 World Health Organisation report had found evidence of this link.

However, he said more recent studies by the WHO, the UN and the European Food Safety Authority had "reported that the previous year's concerns were unfounded", and the EU had licensed the chemical as safe.

He said the council had used 70kg of the chemical since April 2015, applied directly to plants via "controlled droplet applicators" so as to reduce "spray drift", and that the Glyphosate used by the authority will "degrade within minutes".