LAST Autumn's floods could have left North Yorkshire with a poisoned legacy, thanks to lead being picked up from former mines in the Dales.

This potentially alarming finding is contained in research carried out for the University of Wales by Professor Mark Macklin, an authority on the industrial legacy of rivers in Yorkshire and the North East.

Prof Macklin's research has uncovered high levels of the toxic metal on rich grazing land next to the River Swale at its confluence with the River Ouse. The contamination has been caused by riverbank erosion in Swaledale. This has seen flood plain soil polluted by lead mining in the 18th and 19th century washed along in the Swale.

At this stage these findings should be greeted with concern, although there is no need yet to be alarmist. This is research and the exact ramifications are still uncertain. However, there is every reason for further study into what could be a big problem.

Nearly a year on, we are being faced with another damaging consequence of the floods, and one which had seemingly not be considered until now.

Lead is a highly toxic metal which does such serious environmental damage that it has now been removed from petrol. The discovery of high levels of the metal on farming land in North Yorkshire is worrying for many reasons.

Questions have to be asked about whether or not this poisonous metal could have found its way into the food chain, via grazing sheep and cattle.

Also, we have to consider whether any of the contaminated soil has reached the Vale of York. And we have to ask if this could happen again the next time there are floods.

These are early days and panicking will benefit no one, but alarm bells should now be ringing loud and clear. This is especially so for our beleaguered farmers, who face a fresh worry while foot and mouth has still not cleared up.

Sometimes farmers must wonder what is going to hit them next.

Updated: 10:28 Tuesday, September 11, 2001