Forager falls ill after collecting shellfish from Kirkcaldy beach

Billy Allen from Kirkcaldy began to feel unwell on Saturday evening after consuming clams he collected near Kirkcaldy Promenade – and he is worried that the illness may be the result of poor quality water in the area.

He said: “I know which shellfish are edible and which aren’t. I really don't think it was down to my cooking – I'm a good cook and I enjoy cooking shellfish. Of all the shellfish, I only put one out, and realistically most people would have eaten that as well. If it was a case of food poisoning it usually lasts only about 24 hours. With what I’ve read about e-Coli it usually lasts four to five days. This ties in more with that”.

Billy is a regular visitor to the beach at The Prom, and said that he had not seen the water looking the way it did on his recent visit. He described collecting the shellfish from water he said was “bubbly, almost like liquid” and “sludgy”.

He explained: “With the colour of the water, I should have clicked, but I was just getting overwhelmed with fantastic clams. When I started putting them in the bag it was just to initially collect them without really considering whether I was going to eat them or not.”

After beginning to feel unwell, Billy conducted his own research into the water quality in Kirkcaldy. According to his reports from 2011, they showed 50 per cent of the shellfish taken from the water in the Lang Toun contained e-Coli.

With high levels of rainfall causing spikes in e-Coli contamination at Seafield and Lower Largo over the summer, he hopes agencies involved with water quality will make more information available when water is becoming contaminated.

He said: “We really should have a better understanding when discharges are happening.”

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said that there could be alternative answers for issues around water quality. A spokesperson said: “We have not received any reports of pollution at the beach. The presence of foam in the water can often be related to decaying seaweed and rough seas. We strongly encourage anyone who spots signs of a potential pollution incident to contactus. Reports can be made online at www.sepa.org.uk/report or by calling 0800 80 70 60.”