The Sting

Michael Clegg visits Bridlington to get the lowdown on that most low down of fish, the lesser weever, the country’s most poisonous fish. Clegg shows his usual knack for bonding with all living creatures, whether its families enjoying the sunshine on Bridlington beach or giant lobsters. And as usual he chats with experts in the field – on this occasion a local doctor and nurse who treat the many victims of the weever’s sting, and the marine biologist, Dr David Lewis of Hull.

Michael Clegg ran his series for Yorkshire Television throughout the 1980s. Clegg was a naturalist and a regular on BBC Radio 4's Natural History Programme. Born near Barnsley, Clegg was an early campaigner for wildlife sites. The sting from a little weever fish can cause severe reactions, such as abnormal heart rhythms, paralysis, shortness of breath, seizures, and even sometimes passing out (very rarely, even death, with the very young or very old). Weever fish continue to catch beach lovers unawares, and warnings are continually put out for this, especially as the fish have been on the increase in recent years. Marine experts suspect that this may be because of warmer sea temperatures.