Bottled water 'pulled from shops' in Ireland

Bottled water has been withdrawn from sale in Irish supermarkets after bacteria was detected within the batches, it has emerged.

Manufacturer Shannon Minerals has issued a statement on the situation, which relates that it was notified at the end of November that the water tested positive for traces of the bacteria coliform, reported the Irish Times.

As a result, it announced that six batches of bottles have been withdrawn in light of regulations recently implemented.

Previous to the new rules being passed, the firm claimed that the levels of bacteria discovered would have satisfied Health and Safety Executive guidelines.

In related news, UK firm EnviroGene, which is working to develop equipment that detects bacteria in water, was awarded a grant of £1 million last week.