THE persistent pong of Poole Park’s unwanted weed has compelled one company boss to take matters into his own hands.

Peter Hardy, who regularly walks his dogs in the park, was struck by the stench after the invidious green algae returned to the lake in the recent warm spell.

His company, Eco Sustainable Solutions, offered to remove the weeds free of charge to try to alleviate the smell that blights the park.

So far this week, 64 tonnes of tassel and blanket weed cut down have been pulled from the saltwater lake.

Mr Hardy, commercial director for the Christchurch-based eco-firm, said: “It’s unsightly and not very pleasant, so we just wanted to help it on its way.

“I live nearby and use the park a lot, so it is nice to see the back of it and to get rid of the smell.”

Poole council’s cutting machines have been slicing back the weeds and dumping it into Eco’s giant containers.

The harvest will be mulched down at the company’s Christchurch base and the compost then used to grow turf, which is subsequently sold on.

The council has tried various methods to rid the lake of the invasive plant since it first arrived last year.

They first drained and flushed the lake, then filled it with an inky blue dye to restrict the amount of sunlight being absorbed by the plants.

Giant bales of barley straw were then tossed in the lake in the hope their natural chemicals would kill the algae.

Simon Legg, greenspace maintenance team leader with the council, said: “Our efforts to tackle the weed have been ongoing over the past 12 months, primarily aiming to reduce its growth.

“We are extremely grateful that Eco Composting have offered to dispose of the weed free of charge.”