A snapshot survey of 553 beaches by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has found that one in eight beaches - 71 in all - had been blighted by short-term pollution during the first half of the summer.

A total of 16 beaches including Instow in Devon, Bude Summerleaze in Cornwall and Staithes in North Yorkshire failed to meet minimum water quality standards.

A further 67, including Bognor Regis, West Sussex, and Morecambe South in Lancashire made only the basic grade.

Thomas Bell, MCS coastal pollution officer, said the waters at these beaches were of such poor quality that people should avoid swimming there and he called for more public notices at beaches informing swimmers of the dangers of water pollution.

He also said that swimmers should wait at least 24 hours after the rain stops before bathing, to avoid the risk of contracting a virus or infection.

According to the World Health Organisation, faecal contamination can cause gastroenteritis, breathing difficulties and diseases such as hepatitis A and typhoid.

“Heavy rain will periodically sweep waterborne pollutants such as raw sewage, organic refuse and farm waste from the land into rivers and the sea. The problem for swimmers is knowing when that has happened,” Mr Bell said. “MCS is calling on the Government to provide public information on all bathing beaches, advising swimmers that coastal waters can be temporarily affected by increased pollution, with a consequent risk to bathers’ health, after heavy rain.”

According to the study 86 per cent of beaches in the sample were of good standard compared to 94 per cent during the same period last year.

Mr Bell blamed the decline in standards on the heavy rain and said this was a wake-up call to the Government to invest in counter-pollution measures. “With climate change there will be more summers with violent storms and flash flooding,” he said. “These are likely to be the weather patterns of the future and so we need to look at ways to mitigate st-orm-relat-ed pollution or beaches falling below standard.”

He said that new urban drainage systems were needed to reduce the amount of pollution that washes off city streets. He also called for an expansion of the sewer system to handle large volumes of storm water.

Mr Bell was surprised, however, that most beaches had withstood the wet weather and suggested that this was due to recent investment in treated sewage outfalls. He urged the Government to introduce a marine Bill to protect the UK coast and seas.

Testing of bathing waters is to continue until the end of September. A final report is to be published next May. A beach fails EC water standards if more than one of ten water samples exceed permitted thresholds for faecal or coliform bacteria.

Off limits

Staithes, North Yorkshire

Sandsend, North Yorkshire

Aldingham, Cumbria

Bude Summerleaze, Cornwall

Instow, Devon

Eyemouth, Borders

Inverboyndie, Aberdeenshire

Ettrick Bay, Bute

Irvine-Gailes (New Town), Ayrshire

Prestwick, south Ayrshire

Ayr (South), Ayrshire

Girvan, south Ayrshire

Carnlough, Co. Antrim

Ballyholme, Co. Down

Newcastle, Co. Down

Sandyhills, Galloway

Source: Marine Conservation Society

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