Grotesque infected fish have sparked fears of water pollution in northern Thailand.

The discoloured and blister-covered creatures were discovered in several border rivers believed to have been contaminated by toxic mining operations in neighbouring Myanmar.

Stomach-turning footage shows bizarre fleshy lumps growing out of the deformed animals' skin and heads.

Thailand's Public Health Ministry has warned locals in Chiang Rai to avoid eating the freshwater fish for safety.

Weerawut Imsamran, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Public Health Ministry, said water samples from the Kok, Sai, and Mekong Rivers showed unsafe levels of arsenic and lead.

He said: 'Eating fish contaminated with lead and arsenic poses serious health risks, especially for vulnerable groups like children, pregnant women, and the elderly.'

The toxic spillover has left local fishermen struggling as residents in Chiang Rai, where rivers were a central part of daily life, were refusing to buy fish.

Angler Booksook Suwandee said: 'The contamination in the river is severe. I want the government and relevant agencies to help us. All of us fishers here are affected.

'Fish vendors have stopped buying from us and now they even turn off their phones to avoid us completely.

'Every village household relies on the river for a living, whether it's the Khum, Kok, or Mekong rivers, even the Ruak River. Some people even cross the border to fish in Lao territory because we depend on the river for our livelihood. Without it, there is no food.'

Thai non-government organisation Living River Siam Association (LRS) said they were continuing to collect water samples for further testing. The scientific data will be used to pressure the Burmese mines to shut down.

LRS president Somkiat Khuanchiangsa said: 'This is no longer just about the fish or the fishermen. It's a long-term environmental and food safety issue. We want those responsible to be held accountable. We don't want to be told that the contamination has not reached unsafe levels.'

Chinese-backed mining surged in Myanmar as the rogue state seeks a monopoly on rare minerals amid a trade war with the US. However, the mounting resource extraction has triggered toxic sediment runoff into nearby rivers, which serve as a precious lifeline for riverside communities in Thailand.

Environmentalists fear of an impending ecological disaster as the contamination is feared to further spread into the larger Mekong River.