ENGLAND’s most polluted beaches have been revealed – is your favourite on the list?
With summer just round the corner, Brits may well be looking forward to a relaxing trip to one of the country’s many beaches.
AlamyClacton Beach is one hotspot ravaged by pollution[/caption]
But relentless sewage dumping by water companies has left a number of beaches in a sorry state.
Sewage overflows often happen after heavy rainfall, which leads to the system being overwhelmed and forced to release untreated water to avoid waste backing up.
In January Anglian Water was slapped with a £510,000 fine after raw sewage was discharged into a river for 23 hours killing 5,000 fish, according to the Environment Agency.
And this incident was not an isolated one with 22 beaches in total affected.
There are are a number of beaches across England which people should look to avoid as the water quality was so poor.
Long considered one of Britain’s most attractive seaside locations, Blackpool beach is currently one of the most polluted.
And the beautiful beaches of Cornwall are not free from sewage discharge.
Instow beach and Rock beach in Cornwall could cause problems for those taking a dip in the sea.
Anyone who swims in polluted water can fall ill if they digest the water, as well as suffer from skin infections.
Clacton Beach in Essex is another picturesque location where holidaymakers have been advised not to head to.
While the River Wharfe in Ilkley is also one of England’s most dangerous beaches to swim in.
Professor Becky Malby of Ilkley Clean River Group told the Wharfedale Observer that the river had become a “public health hazard”.
And the government have reported that Weston-super-Mare’s beach has ben polluted thanks to combined effort from dogs, seabirds and a nearby sewage treatment works.
Three sandy hotspots in Devon are also deemed unsafe to swim in while four Yorkshire beaches have been badly affected.
Brits instead need to head to a Blue Flag beach in the UK, which is awarded the status for a number of reasons including no sewage discharge.
There are currently 80 of these beaches found in England.
It comes as Surfers Against Sewage published an interactive map which tracks real-time sewage overflows and pollution risk forecasts.
The handy tool monitors the water quality at over 400 locations around UK rivers and coastlines.
Southern Water was fined a record £90 million for deliberately pumping 16 to 21 billion litres of sewage into the sea between 2010 and 2015.
And in 2020, more than 100 beaches had a sewage warning following heavy rain.
AlamyBlackpool North beach is also deemed too dangerous to swim in[/caption]
AlamyA number of beautiful beaches in Cornwall have also been affected[/caption] Read More