THE SCOTTISH Wildlife Trust is monitoring its nature reserve at Carlingnose Point, near North Queensferry, after last week’s oil spill in the Forth.

An important site for butterflies, insects and flowers, Carlingnose Point is also a habitat for migrating birds and fulmars breed on the quarry cliffs.

Alan Anderson, conservation operations manager at SWT, said, “The Forth is home to seals, porpoises, dolphins and coastal birds, and SWT will be monitoring the impact this spillage has on areas around our reserves such as at Carlingnose Point.

“Although the breeding season for seabirds is nearly complete, we are worried that young, inexperienced birds will suffer as they battle to survive in the oil slick.”

After an investigation by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the source of the spill was identified as the Ineos Oil Refinery at Grangemouth.

Ineos has been told to upgrade its storm water abatement equipment, the failure of which caused the pollution.

It could face legal action if tests show discharge limits have been exceeded.

Although oil was seen on the estuary from Kincardine to Cockenzie, it has been treated as a “small” spill and no clean-up operation has been launched.

Instead, the oil has been left to be dispersed by the tides and the weather.

At the end of last month, another incident of oil pollution was reported around the coastline at Bo’ness.

And in April, hundreds of thousands of gallons of untreated human waste poured into the Firth of Forth from the Seafield treatment plant in Leith.

The oil spill was originally reported to SEPA on Monday last week, and since then there have been no reports of oiled birds or other harm to wildlife.