Spain bans fertilisers near saltwater lagoon after dead fish wash up

Officials close eight beaches as residents complain of cloudy, green water that emits a foul smell

Spanish officials have banned the use of fertilisers near one of Europe's largest saltwater lagoons after five tons of dead fish washed up on its shores.

Alarm bells began to sound in the south-eastern region of Murcia last week as scores of small fish and shrimp began to wash up along the beaches of the Mar Menor lagoon.