VALE of York MP Anne McIntosh was questioning environment chiefs today after potentially harmful levels of lead were found on flooded farmland.

Researchers at the University of Wales have discovered excessive amounts of the metal in land beside the River Swale - at its meeting point with the Ouse.

They believe it has been caused by last year's floods in Swaledale. Record levels of rain eroded flood plain soils that were polluted by mining in the 18th and 19th centuries.

In some areas, levels were found to be ten times higher than Government safety guidelines for grazing livestock.

Mrs McIntosh said a report, produced by the research team headed by Professor Mark Macklin, of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, will further worry a farming community ravaged by foot and mouth.

Mrs McIntosh said: "Contamination like this could have long-term implications for the farming industry.

"I am concerned that it's taken so long for this information to come out. The floods were last November."

Professor Macklin said his team has now been asked by the Environment Agency to look at land beside the River Ouse.

He said: "We're uncertain of what we will find further downstream. This could be a problem for the next 50 to 100 years."

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "These levels are a little higher than expected. We were aware of the mining legacy in this area."

A City of York Council spokesman said: "We're not aware of any on-going problems with lead levels, but we will be monitoring the situation closely."

Updated: 11:13 Tuesday, September 11, 2001