Morecambe beaches not on list after UK raw sewage alert

Swimmers can rest assured that the news that raw sewage has been discharged into the sea does not relate to beaches in the Morecambe and Heysham area.

People have been warned to stay away from numerous beaches around the coastline after sewage was discharged on beaches across England and Wales.

Pollution alerts have been issued to beachgoers by the Environment Agency, and on some beaches signs have been put up to warn people.

Environmental campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) collected data that suggests storm sewage discharges have taken place in the waters of beaches in Cornwall, Cumbria, Devon, Essex, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Northumberland and Sussex.

Storm overflows are designed to allow sewers to overflow into rivers and the sea when they reach their capacity from torrential rain. If the sewage is not released, it can flow into streets.

With much of the UK in drought, the land has become less able to absorb heavy rainfall, meaning larger than usual quantities reaching drainage channels, which can cause flash floods.

The Environment Agency has also published pollution alerts, saying the rainfall and flooding of the past two days has affected water quality.

Earlier this week we reported swimmers' concerns about the state of the sea in Morecambe and Heysham at the weekend.

However, United Utilities said they had "definitely not had any incidents or released any raw sewage".

And an Environment Agency spoksesman said: “We would like to reassure concerned members of the public that reports of pollution in areas where bathers enjoy the coast are taken seriously, however daily fluctuations in water quality can sometimes occur based on the weather or tides.

An interactive map by environmental campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) warns of pollution at several popular bathing spots.

The nearest beach people are being warned to stay away from is currently Walney Island.

A spokeswoman for SAS said that other pollution warnings in place may not be linked to heavy rain, and those visiting the coast are advised to check its interactive map on their website before they swim.

You can check the latest guidance at either https://www.sas.org.uk/map/ or via the Environment Agency's Swimfo app at https://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/