diff --git a/cellfinder/core/tools/IO.py b/cellfinder/core/tools/IO.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 359a6da5..00000000
--- a/cellfinder/core/tools/IO.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,82 +0,0 @@
-import glob
-import os
-from typing import Tuple
-
-import numpy as np
-from brainglobe_utils.general.system import get_sorted_file_paths
-from dask import array as da
-from dask import delayed
-from tifffile import TiffFile, imread
-
-
-def get_tiff_meta(
-    path: str,
-) -> Tuple[Tuple[int, int], np.dtype]:
-    with TiffFile(path) as tfile:
-        nz = len(tfile.pages)
-        if not nz:
-            raise ValueError(f"tiff file {path} has no pages!")
-        first_page = tfile.pages[0]
-
-    return tfile.pages[0].shape, first_page.dtype
-
-
-lazy_imread = delayed(imread)  # lazy reader
-
-
-def read_z_stack(path):
-    """
-    Reads z-stack, lazily, if possible.
-
-    If it's a text file or folder with 2D tiff files use dask to read lazily,
-    otherwise it's a single file tiff stack and is read into memory.
-
-    :param path: Filename of text file listing 2D tiffs, folder of 2D tiffs,
-        or single file tiff z-stack.
-    :return: The data as a dask/numpy array.
-    """
-    if path.endswith(".tiff") or path.endswith(".tif"):
-        with TiffFile(path) as tiff:
-            if not len(tiff.series):
-                raise ValueError(
-                    f"Attempted to load {path} but couldn't read a z-stack"
-                )
-            if len(tiff.series) != 1:
-                raise ValueError(
-                    f"Attempted to load {path} but found multiple stacks"
-                )
-
-            axes = tiff.series[0].axes.lower()
-            if set(axes) != {"x", "y", "z"} or axes[0] != "z":
-                raise ValueError(
-                    f"Attempted to load {path} but didn't find a zyx or "
-                    f"zxy stack. Found {axes} axes"
-                )
-
-        return imread(path)
-
-    return read_with_dask(path)
-
-
-def read_with_dask(path):
-    """
-    Based on https://github.com/tlambert03/napari-ndtiffs
-    :param path:
-    :return:
-    """
-
-    if path.endswith(".txt"):
-        with open(path, "r") as f:
-            filenames = [line.rstrip() for line in f.readlines()]
-
-    else:
-        filenames = glob.glob(os.path.join(path, "*.tif"))
-
-    shape, dtype = get_tiff_meta(filenames[0])
-    lazy_arrays = [lazy_imread(fn) for fn in get_sorted_file_paths(filenames)]
-    dask_arrays = [
-        da.from_delayed(delayed_reader, shape=shape, dtype=dtype)
-        for delayed_reader in lazy_arrays
-    ]
-    stack = da.stack(dask_arrays, axis=0)
-    return stack
diff --git a/tests/core/test_integration/test_detection.py b/tests/core/test_integration/test_detection.py
index 727f0741..7d90a007 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_integration/test_detection.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_integration/test_detection.py
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 from brainglobe_utils.general.system import get_num_processes
+from brainglobe_utils.IO.image.load import read_with_dask
 
 from cellfinder.core.main import main
-from cellfinder.core.tools.IO import read_with_dask
 
 data_dir = os.path.join(
     os.getcwd(), "tests", "data", "integration", "detection"
diff --git a/tests/core/test_integration/test_detection_structure_splitting.py b/tests/core/test_integration/test_detection_structure_splitting.py
index 87ae7cb2..6fa83d07 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_integration/test_detection_structure_splitting.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_integration/test_detection_structure_splitting.py
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@
 import os
 
 import pytest
+from brainglobe_utils.IO.image.load import read_with_dask
 
 from cellfinder.core.main import main
-from cellfinder.core.tools.IO import read_with_dask
 
 data_dir = os.path.join(
     os.getcwd(), "tests", "data", "integration", "detection"
diff --git a/tests/core/test_unit/test_tools/test_IO.py b/tests/core/test_unit/test_tools/test_IO.py
deleted file mode 100644
index bba99507..00000000
--- a/tests/core/test_unit/test_tools/test_IO.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-import dask.array as d_array
-
-from cellfinder.core.tools import IO
-
-BRAIN_DIR = "tests/data/background"
-BRAIN_PATHS = f"{BRAIN_DIR}/background_paths.txt"
-
-
-def test_read_with_dask_txt():
-    stack = IO.read_with_dask(BRAIN_PATHS)
-    assert type(stack) == d_array.Array
-
-
-def test_read_with_dask_glob_txt_equal():
-    txt_stack = IO.read_with_dask(BRAIN_PATHS)
-    glob_stack = IO.read_with_dask(BRAIN_DIR)
-
-    assert d_array.equal(txt_stack, glob_stack).all()