Ticks causing a deadly dog disease have been dealt with and the land they inhabited has been reopened to the public.

Fencing was erected around a piece of land along Third Avenue between Harlow Town Centre and Abercrombie Way in 2016 following findings of a rare tick carrying the disease Babesiosis.

The discovery followed a vet’s report of cases of Babesiosis in dogs walked in the area.

The disease, which can be carried by the ticks, does not affect people, but is very serious for dogs.

The signs can vary in severity but most dogs will become acutely ill, develop very pale gums, dark urine and even collapse from severe anaemia.

To tackle the issue the council has removed bushes and undergrowth, burning them on site and issuing information to alert local dog owners.

The council has continued to work with Public Health England to monitor the site and regular surveys have been carried out of the area.

No ticks have been found since 2019 so it has been decided that it is now safe to remove the fencing.

Cllr Alastair Gunn, portfolio holder for environment, said: “The measures taken by the council have been effective in eradicating these rare ticks from the area. Thanks to the work of the Wildspace and Greenteam volunteers and council staff the area is once again, accessible to all, and later in the summer we will come forward with some ideas for improving the landscaping of this area.”