Warning to avoid 42 beaches in Cornwall and Devon ‘blighted’ with sewage after storm overflows - full list

More than 40 beaches in South West England have been issued a sewage warning after stormy weather this week led to sewer overflows.

Anti-sewage charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) posted the warning on its website urging people to not enter the water at the affected spots after storm overflows discharged waste.

Swimming in sewage could cause stomach aches, skin infections, ear infections, eye infections and more.

In a warning the charity said: “Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location in the past 48 hours.”

It comes after Storm Noa wreaked havoc in the South West earlier this week, with winds up to 96mph recorded causing trees to come down and major travel disruption on the roads, trains and ferries.

An environmental charity has slammed the water industry for using UK rivers and seas “as toilets” and said it is “now in full view” thanks to the efforts of campaigners.

Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP) told NationalWorld that an interactive map - produced by charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) to highlight where in the UK there could be a risk of sewage pollution - has “stripped away the cover up” after it issued warnings for a swathe of beaches across Cornwall and Devon.

WASP said sewage discharges should only be happening in “exceptional circumstances” but they are becoming “more commonplace” because “government policy keeps illegal pollution profitable”.

The charity added: “Holiday season approaches and the best that people are being offered by water companies and government is to know when they could be swimming around in other people’s sewage simply to keep water companies’ profits flowing - does that sound like living in the 21st century in the developed world?”

‘Beaches are treated like open sewers’

Izzy Ross, Campaigns Manager at SAS, said it is “devastating” to see “precious” beaches and waterways “treated like open sewers”.

Ms Ross says SAS sees an “influx of pollution alerts” across the country on its interactive map “when there’s rainfall as our shoddy sewage infrastructure struggles to cope with increased water levels”.

She added: “Many rely on blue spaces for health and wellbeing, and in popular holiday locations these spaces are vital for local economies.

“It’s unacceptable that beaches are blighted with sewage as a result of lax regulators and greedy water companies’ inadequate investment.”

WASP praised the alerts produced by SAS for helping to “expose this total scam on the billpayer.”

It said: “The regulation of the water companies has been a massive failure and here we are in 2023 in need of urgent action, but all we are hearing are more plans and excuses that do more to protect shareholders than the public and environment.”

Which beaches in the south-west have pollution warnings?

SAS is urging people not to enter the water at 42 beaches across South West England as these areas have all been issued with sewage pollution warnings on its interactive map.

The affected beaches in Cornwall include:

• Porthoustock Beach
• Long Rock
• Porthkidney
• Gwithian Towans
• Godrevy Towans
• Portreath
• Harlyn Bay
• Portmellon
• Portwrinkle
• Widemouth Sand
• Pentewan
• Charlestown Beach
• Par Sands
• East Looe
• Seaton
• Millendreath
• Gorran Haven Little Perhaver
• Mawgan Porth

The affected beaches in Cornwall include:

• Kingsand Beach
• Plymouth Hoe West
• Plymouth Hoe East
• Mothecombe
• Thurlestone Beach
• Hope Cove
• Mill Bay
• Slapton Sands
• Dartmouth Castle and Sugary Cove
• St Marys Bay Beach
• Goodrington
• Hollicombe
• Beacon Cove
• Meadfoot
• Teignmouth Holcombe
• Dawlish Coryton Cove
• Exmouth
• Sandy Bay Beach
• Budleigh Salterton
• Sidmouth Town
• Dunster North West
• Lynmouth
• Westward Ho!
• Widemouth Sand