Raw sewage health warning: Surfers Against Sewage place 54 UK beaches under alert after heavy rain - full list

Health warnings have been issued for 54 beaches across the south West of England. Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has said the heavy rain the area has endured in recent days has left thousands of beachgoers at risk.

The group has placed 33 beaches in Cornwall alone under the ‘sewage pollution alert’. This means that in the past 48 hours, storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in these locations. In addition to these, a further 21 places have been issued a ‘pollution risk forecast’, meaning there is a chance sewage will appear in the area.

Water experts recommend beachgoers should wait a minimum of 72 hours after heavy rainfall before venturing into the sea. This is due to the risk of swallowing contaminated water which can lead to serious health issues.

Josh Harris, who is part of SAS, told Metro.co.uk: “When it rains, it pours sewage. Water companies treat our coastline, rivers and lakes as an open sewer, with decades of under-investment whilst shareholders and directors get paid millions.

“It’s a totally unacceptable situation and that’s why we are demanding an end to dirty money in the water industry and an end to sewage pollution.”

Surfers Against Sewage was created more than 30 years ago in 1990 by a group of Cornish surfers from the villages of St Agnes and Porthtowan on the north coast of Cornwall, and now consist of over 20,000 members.

Full list of 54 beaches under a raw sewage alert

The following beaches have been placed under a raw sewage alert:

Kingsand

Cawsand

Portwrinkle

Downderry

Seaton

Millendreath

East Looe

Readymoney Cove

Polkerris (pollution risk forecast)

Par Sands

Shorthorn Beach

Charlestown

Duporth (pollution risk forecast)

Porthpean Beach (pollution risk forecast)

Pentewan

Portmellon

Gorran Haven Little Perhaver

Porthluney (pollution risk forecast)

Pendower (pollution risk forecast)

Porthcurnick (pollution risk forecast)

Gyllyngvase

Swanpool

Maenporth (pollution risk forecast)

Porthallow (pollution risk forecast)

Porthoustock

Coverack

Kennack Sands (pollution risk forecast)

Polurrian Cove

Poldhu Cove (pollution risk forecast)

Perranuthnoe

Marazion (pollution risk forecast)

Long Rock

Penzance (pollution risk forecast)

Wherry Town (pollution risk forecast)

Porthgwidden

Porthkidney

Gwithian Towans

Godrevy Towans

Portreath

Trevaunance Cove

Perranporth (pollution risk forecast)

Crantock

Fistral South

Fistral North

Porth

Mawgan Porth

Porthcothan (pollution risk forecast)

Harlyn Bay

Trevone Bay (pollution risk forecast)

Polzeath (pollution risk forecast)

Trebarwith Strand (pollution risk forecast)

Crackington Haven (pollution risk forecast)

Summerleaze (pollution risk forecast)

Crooklets (pollution risk forecast)