FAMILIES are being warned to steer clear of a highly toxic plant that can cause serious burns.

United Utilities is writing to schools to raise awareness of Giant Hogweed ahead of the summer holidays.

Growing up to five metres tall, the plant is mostly found along footpaths and riverbanks. It also grows in places like parks, cemeteries and wasteland.

The plant’s sap contains chemicals which react with light when in contact with human skin, causing blistering within 48 hours. The blisters heal very slowly and the affected skin can remain sensitive to sunlight for years afterwards, resulting in a type of skin rash which flares up in sunlight.

Two years ago, a group of schoolchildren were left with horrific burns and sores after touching the plant in Moses Gate Country Park.

The plant spread across the Irwell Valley after the floods of December 2015.

United Utilities’ head of Grounds Maintenance, Mark Booth, explained: “Giant Hogweed is a really nasty plant. It looks beautiful, but looks can be deceiving because it can give you very bad burn if your skin comes into contact with it.

“We do our best to control it with weed spraying and cutting if we find it on our land, but the plant is so invasive it is very difficult to control.

“The seeds spread along watercourses and we have noticed the problem has got a lot worse in the Irwell Valley since the severe floods at the end of 2015.”

The advice, if you do come into contact with Giant Hogweed, is to cover the affected area, wash it with soap and water and seek medical attention.