Some Of Britain s Beauty Spots Continue To Be Plagued By Pollution After Dog Walkers Found Foul Smelling Oil Dumps Sheep Manure Led To Swimming Being Banned At A Devon Beach And E

Some of Britain's beauty spots continue to be plagued by pollution, after dog walkers found foul smelling oil dumps, sheep manure led to swimming being banned at a Devon beach and E.coli was discovered in a river in Kent. 
Days after dozens of beaches were flooded with pollution, the safety and cleanliness of Britain's waterways and beaches continues to be thrown into question.
More than 50 beaches have had sewage pumped onto them in recent days, with more incidents in beauty spots across the country coming to light today. 
In Greater Manchester a 'foul smelling' oil was dumped along a walking trail in the Prestwich Clough Woodland Trust, prompting concern from locals who say the potent odour and greasy pollution is 'ruining the area.'
The Environment Agency has launched a probe into the incident, but the source of the spill remains unknown at this time.

Local utility companies have denied responsibility for the 'possibly illegal dump.'
Meanwhile, an Selaine Saxby, the MP for North Devon, has confirmed that people were told not to go into the water at Saunton Sands beach in the county after it was polluted by sheep manure.
The faeces, which had dried out in the extreme heat of the last couple of months, were washed into the water after heavy rain caused flash floods earlier this week.
The Environment Agency urged people not to swim in the water, and said that on investigation the manure did not appear to come from leaks in water company pipes.

It said the water has since been cleared for swimming.
The investigation at the woodland comes just days after the agency revealed diesel fuel had been dumped at the River Helford near Port Navas, a small village in Cornwall.
Alarming levels of potentially deadly E.coli bacteria have also been found in a section of the River Stour, which is popular with swimmers and canoeists in Kent.
Public Health England has advised against swimming in the contaminated water due to increased risks of stomach illness, diarrhoea, vomiting and respiratory, skin, ear and eye infections, among other ailments.
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Footage on social media showed sewage being released into the sea just feet away from a popular beach in East Sussex earlier this week
A 'foul smelling' oil was dumped along a walking trail in the Prestwich Clough Woodland Trust, which is near Manchester
The Environmental Agency has launched a probing into the incident, but the source of the spill remains unknown at this time.

Local utility companies have denied responsibility for the 'possibly illegal dump'
Diesel fuel was also found dumped in the River Helford near Port Navas, a small village in Cornwall
People were urged not to swim off Saunton Sands (file picture) earlier this week after sheep manure was found in the water
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The latest environmental concerns follow warnings that beachgoers should avoid more than 50 dangerously-contaminated shores across England and Wales due to huge amounts of raw sewage being pumped into the sea by water companies.
Heavy rain earlier this week caused sewer overflows which have been eased by emptying into UK waters after they struggled to cope with the high volumes of water placing pressure on drainage systems. 
Water treatment company Southern Water told Mail Online the discharges are 'heavily diluted and typically 95 per cent of them are rainwater.'
Residents are angry about the oil spills, with one alleging the woodland site in Prestwich Clough has become a 'no go zone' for dog walkers.
'It's ruining the area, a lot families go there, people take their dogs and especially with the hot weather the dogs go under the stream.

There's been quite a lot of posts from people saying it's hard to clean grease off the fur of their pets,' the local, who preferred to remain anonymous, told  on Wednesday. 
'It's become a bit of a no go area, all the frogs are dead.

The rats are having a field day, it's nasty, someone needs to investigate this as a criminal offence.' 
The tipster added: 'It's a really foul smell, it's that sort of smell you get when you walk past a takeaway, it's that intense you can smell flavouring and spices that have been dumped.
It's obviously been done overnight.' 
United Utilities has denied responsibility for the leak, telling thew newspaper: 'Our teams have visited Prestwich Clough and established that the oil has not been discharged via any of our assets in the area. 
'We have now passed our findings over to the Environment Agency who will be able to investigate this potentially illegal discharge.'
The Environmental Agency, in a statement to Mail Online on Thursday, confirmed it was aware of the pollution in Prestwich Clough and said its officers were 'investigating the source.'
The agency declined to provide further details in order 'not to prejudice our enquiries.' 
The agency also confirmed on Sunday it was probing a likely-diesel fuel spill in Cornwall.

It is unclear what is responsible for the spill, but the agency is working with its 'partners to reduce impacts to wildlife and the environment.'
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In Devon, a warning was put out telling people not to go into the water at Saunton Sands, a stretch of coast on the North Devon coasts popular with holidaymakers and locals.
Selaine Saxby, the MP for North Devon, said she had been involved in investigating the issue and it is now safe to go back into the water.
On her website, she wrote said: 'This weekend there has understandably been much concern about a pollution incident at Saunton Sands beach.
'Having spent much of Sunday and today (Monday, August 15) trying to get further details on what has happened, and ensuring additional tests were carried out at the beach today, the Environment Agency have confirmed that the water is safe for swimming - indeed Saunton Sands enjoys excellent water quality the vast majority of the time.
'However, with the exceptional high tides this weekend, combined with the extreme heat, some sheep manure on the Burrows opposite had dried up, making it very light, and then floated into the water on the high tide, eventually some washing up into the water on the Saunton Sands side.'
She added: 'Despite everyone's best efforts, on occasions there are pollution incidents, and this weekend's, whilst unusual, is not the first time that sheep manure has entered the water in this area, and with the large overnight tide is now confirmed as cleared.
'There is also often some confusion between algae blooms and sewage.
'There had been reports of algae blooms across the south west this weekend and this may have contributed to the condition of the water as they tend to appear this time of year.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: 'Officers have inspected Saunton Sands and believe the source was animal waste which entered the sea as a result of exceptionally high tides and south-westerly winds.
'Advice not to swim was issued based on reports from the public.

This was verified as organic waste.
'Officers have confirmed there is no sign of pollution from water company assets.'
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Meanwhile, E.coli was discovered on Thursday during water sampling in Fordwich, a town near Canterbury.
Despite the waters being crystal clear, traces of the bacteria which often originates from human faeces were found.
The tests used the recognised Aquagenx testing method for E.coli.

These were originally developed for delivering quick results in Third World countries.
Trained environmentalist Andy Harvey took the samples after stopping for a pint at a riverside pub and noticing how many people were in the water.
'The test was positive for E.coli, we are very concerned,' Mr Harvey said.

'I was having lunch at the Fordwich Arms recently and noticed how many people were enjoying swimming and canoeing in the water, which looked very clean.
'Just out of interest I thought I would take a few samples and test them using the Aquagenx kit, which we have been using successfully to conduct tests in Herne Bay and Whitstable.
'But the results really surprise and worry us because they showed that coliform bacteria levels are greater than 1,000 per 100 millilitres - a level that is acknowledged as 'highly unsafe' by water quality experts.'
Dark grey and black sewage water can plainly be seen polluting UK waters at popular beach sites, affecting England, Wales and the Isle of Wight
Bognor Regis Beach in West Sussex (left) and beaches in Bournemouth (right) are just a few of the 50 which are classed as currently polluted
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He added: 'I am not sure what the cause could be for such high levels, although it has been very dry.'
Local operator Canoe Wild posted on its Facebook page of a 'crazy weekend' last weekend with a record 300 crafts being sent out in one day.
This section of the River Stour is not a designated swimming site, meaning its popularity is a concern for public health experts.
On their website, Public Health England says: 'Our advice on swimming in rivers is that people should be aware that very few are designated bathing waters and therefore swimming is not advised.'
They continued: 'Open-water swimming can increase the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses, or stomach bugs, which may cause diarrhoea and/or vomiting, as well as respiratory, skin, ear and eye infections.
'Most symptoms of these illnesses caused by micro-organisms such as norovirus, giardia and cryptosporidium, will generally be mild.
'However, there is also a risk of more severe infections caused by E.coli O157 which may cause severe gastrointestinal illness and leptospirosis (Weil's disease), which can cause liver and kidney problems.'
Members of Sturry and Broad Oak Residents' Association in Kent are also now said to be 'extremely disturbed' by the latest pollution readings.
They have sent the findings to local councillors and MPs Roger Gale and Rosie Duffield.
Southern Water is already under fire for the discharge of untreated sewage in the sea off the Kent towns of Herne Bay and Whitstable.
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The stretch of coastland in Seaford, East Sussex next to where raw sewage had been reportedly discharged after heavy rain fell in southern England on Wednesday
Heavy rain caused the Totten sewage pumping station to become overwhelmed and flooded on Tuesday
A spokesperson said: 'There are many sources of pollution in river water - agriculture, industry and wildlife all contribute.
'In rural areas, many homes have septic tanks and unless regularly emptied and properly maintained these can be a continuing source of pollution. 
'Our sites in the area have all been operating normally and would not have made storm releases during the recent hot dry spell.'
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: 'We are not aware of any recent issues in the River Stour at Fordwich regarding sewage pollution.
'The Environment Agency only samples for E.coli at designated bathing waters during the summer bathing water season.
'As Fordwich is not a designated bathing water, we do not have any E.coli sample data for this site.
The agency advised that swimmers should 'be aware that very few are designated bathing waters' and discouraged swimming in the now-contaminated site. 
Meanwhile, huge amounts of raw sewage being pumped into the sea by water companies.
According to data gathered by environmental campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), there has been storm sewage discharge into the waters at beaches in Cornwall, Devon, Sussex, Essex, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Northumberland and Cumbria. 
It comes as millions of Britons head to the coast for a last trip away before the end of the summer holidays at the end of this month, but now face the risk of serious illnesses if they swim at affected beaches. 
Video footage shared online on Tuesday shows sewage being released into the open sea at Seaford in East Sussex.

Dark grey water can be seen mingling with the rest of the pale blue ocean just feet away from the popular nearby beach. 
Heavy rainfall has overwhelmed drainage systems across the country. Southend-on-Sea and Newquay are particularly badly affected. 
Environmental campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) keeps its own interactive map where surfers and healthtopical.com other beach visitors can check the water quality of their local beach on a day to day basis.

Ticks mean water quality is fine for water activities, while beaches with cross marks are to be avoided. Spanner and snowflake symbols mean water quality data is unavailable due to ongoing works or the beach being out of season
The south coast and Isle of Wight are particularly hit by beach closures, including around Portsmouth and Southend-on-Sea
The southern-most tip of Cornwall has three beaches which visitors are urged to avoid for at least the whole of today
Half of Southend-on-Sea's beaches currently have dangerous pollution levels, with people urged to avoid going in the water at the eastern half of the resort
At some beaches sewage has been released directly into the sea but others which have seen sewage discharged into nearby rivers are also classed as polluted. 
A spokeswoman for SAS said 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.
The most concentrated areas of pollution are across the south coast including Cornwall and Devon. Beaches on the Isle of Wight are also affected.
The Environment Agency has an interactive map where individuals can check the water quality at their local beach, and it lists advice for eight of the 50 beaches warning bathing is not advised on a permanent basis.
With millions of people expected to head to the coast this week, the SAS is urging people to not assume their local beach is safe.
Usually highly popular seaside destinations including Exmouth, Cowes, Eastbourne, Bournemouth and The Headland Cornwall beaches are all deemed as unsafe for the moment.
The video shot in East Sussex shows the short distance between sewage release points and seaside hotspots
Pollution levels at many beaches in Scotland are currently unavailable due to them being classed as out of season.
A spokesperson for Southern Water said: 'Yesterday's thunder storms brought heavy rain which fell onto parched ground and couldn't absorb surface run-off, meaning that more rain than usual overwhelmed our network. 
'This led to some overflows - which are used to protect homes, schools, businesses and hospitals from flooding - spilling excess water into the sea in parts of Sussex, including Seaford.

These discharges are heavily diluted and typically 95 per cent of them are rainwater.
'We are dedicated to significantly reducing storm overflows and are running innovative pilot schemes across the region to reduce the amount of rainfall entering our combined sewers by 2030.'
The SAS and other environmental groups have been campaigning for water companies to be prevented from allowing sewage to be released into the UK's oceans for several years.
It comes after MPs voted against an amendment to a bill which would have prevented companies from dumping raw sewage into UK rivers in October last year.
In 2020 there were more than 400,000 incidents of sewage being released by water companies in Britain. 
Britain's sewers struggle to cope in heavy rain, leaving sewage works overwhelmed - and, at this point, water firms are allowed to release rainwater and untreated sewage into rivers and the sea to stop waste backing up in streets and homes.

However, environmentalists say better infrastructure such as storage tanks could prevent this.
Raw sewage is dangerously harmful to wildlife and the health of surfers and wild swimmers. It also poses a dangerous risk to anyone entering the sea in the aftermath of a sewage release.
Beach-lovers online have branded the sewage releases as 'revolting' and questioned why water companies are allowed to release it in this way. 
The government's water minister threatened to fine companies last week after it emerged that in addition to sewage releases, billions of gallons of water is being lost in leaks on a daily basis.
Steve Double insisted water firms needed to do more to ensure they can withstand future droughts.
'Water companies must continue to invest more, including to prevent leakage and work faster to fix leaks,' he told The Mail on Sunday.
'We are losing somewhere between 15 to 20 per cent annually through leakage, which is not acceptable.
'Progress has been made but my message to water companies is they need to prioritise customers, not shareholder returns.

If we don't see the progress we expect, we won't hesitate to take further action.
'The public and Government rightly expect more from our water companies.'
Swimmers have already reported contracting nasty bugs including gastroenteritis in British seas this summer - a prolific vomiting bug which can cause serious illness - which are being blamed on sewage releases.
A couple who came down with the bug blasted Southern Water after they swam at a beach where sewage had been released just 24 hours previously without their knowledge.

The company apologised to the couple on social media.
Wastewater being released from a large industrial complex into the River Swale in Kemsley, Kent.

The Environment Agency has launched warnings about pollution and sewage being dumped onto beaches in England
The usually busy Exmouth beach is one of 50 beaches in England and Wales where raw sewage has been dumped following heavy rainfall which has overwhelmed sewage systems
Surfers protest against the dumping of sewage at the beach near Bournemouth Pier in 2021 in action which involved dozens of activists



It's not just the south of England which is affected - the north coast is also seeing poor water quality in seaside towns such as Whitley
Devon and Dorset both have multiple beaches which holidaymakers should avoid, although there are plenty of others available
Southern Water was fined a record £90 million in July 2021 after bosses admitted deliberately dumping billions of litres of raw sewage illegally thousands of times over a five-year period into the sea.
The company pleaded guilty to 6,971 unpermitted sewage discharges from 17 places - the equivalent of one pipe leaking continuously for seven years.
Tons of sewage polluted rivers and coastal waters in Kent, Hampshire and Sussex between 2010 and 2015, a court was told.
The Environment Agency brought a criminal investigation after shellfish conservations were found to be contaminated with E.

coli.
Passing sentence, the Honourable Mr Justice Johnson said, of the formal 51 guilty pleas, that the Southern Water's behaviour had been 'shocking' and the offences had been 'committed deliberately' by the company's board of directors at the time.
As well as beaches, bodies of water and tourist hotspots are also facing pollution warnings across the UK.

At Lake Windemere in the Lake District dead fish have been pictured washing up ashore after visitors were warned of poor water quality.
The issues come as millions of UK residents are currently living under hosepipe bans and in areas officially in drought.
Southern Water, South East Water, Welsh Water, Yorkshire Water and Thames Water have all announced hosepipe bans either now or in the coming weeks.

South West Water and Severn Trent have all indicated they will also bring in restrictions.
Together, the bans cover more than 32 million people.
Despite the heavy rain seen across the UK over the last 48 hours, this will do little to help the drought-stricken countryside as it is prolonged rain that is needed rather than rare, heavy downpours.

This is due to the dry ground becoming quickly saturated with water, meaning most of the downpour cannot be absorbed into the soil.
Instead this excess water goes into our drainage systems, creating the overflow problems which are leading to sewage release.
Experts warn that global warming will only lead to more extreme weather such as hotter temperatures and more frequent heatwaves, droughts and storms.
Some fish and other wild animals are believed to have died as a result if high pollution levels in Lake Windemere in the Lake District
Local officials have now warned the lake is covered in 'toxic' algae, and told locals not to enter the water or allow their pets to do so
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<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news" data-version="2" id="mol-33784ec0-1dfc-11ed-b071-71493d3c7d70" website of pollution continues with oil spills & sheep manure in water