Brits warned to avoid 83 beaches after raw sewage leaks including 'UK's best'

15 March 2023 , 08:51

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Brits have been told to avoid 83 beaches across the country due to sewage (Image: SAS)

Members of the public have been told to steer clear of 83 beaches across the country due to sewage leaking into the water.

New pollution alerts from swimming charity Surfers Against Sewage from been unveiled following heavy rainfall over recent days, which has caused waste water to be discharged into the sea.

An alert has even been applied to Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, which was last month named by Tripadvisor as the best beach in the UK.

A warning from the charity said: "A large, 3km stretch of sand backed by a promenade, gardens and the town with timber groynes found along its length.

Interactive Map for Sewage Beaches around the UK (SAS)

"Gorleston-on-Sea became popular in Edwardian times and is still a busy seaside resort. A number of sewer overflows discharge into the River Yare that flows to the sea at the northern end of the beach."

UK's 20 most polluted rivers named in Top of the Poops league table - see list

Other popular tourist destinations affected by the warnings include Brighton, Scarborough, Blackpool and Whitstable.

In just one year, England and Wales’ waterways had sewage pumped into them for at least 3.4million hours, according to recent figures analysed by Top of the Poops.

If you can’t see the poll, click here

The River Severn was the most polluted river, and had seen 28,741 hours of sewage pumped into it on 2,656 occasions by Severn Trent Water.

The Environment Agency has been been approached for comment on the latest sewage leaks.

Beaches currently under sewage pollution alert

South Beach in Blyth, Northumberland is among those affected by the warnings (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

• Dhoon Bay
• Spittal
• Warkworth
• Amble Links
• Druridge Bay North
• Druridge Bay South
• Blyth South Beach
• Tynemouth Cullercoats
• Seaham Hall Beach
• Seaham Beach
• Seaton Carew North
• Redcar Coatham
• Redcar Granville
• Redcar Stray
• Marske Sands
• Saltburn
• Whitby
• Scarborough North Bay

Morecambe beach, which has previously been affected by sewage leaks (James Maloney/Lancs Live)

• Scarborough South Bay
• Bridlington South Beach
• Heacham
• Gorleston Beach
• Southend Three Shells
• Southend Jubilee Beach
• Sheerness Canterbury
• Minster Leas
• Leysdown
• West Beach, Whitstable
• Tankerton
• Herne Bay Central
• Herne Bay
• Sandgate
• Hythe
• St Marys Bay (Kent)
• St Leonards
• Bexhill
• Normans Bay
• Pevensey Bay
• Seaford
• Saltdean
• Brighton Kemptown
• Brighton Central - Brighton
• Hove Lawn

Druridge Bay, which is also under a sewage warning (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

• Littlehampton
• Bognor Regis East
• Bognor Regis (Aldwick)
• Pagham
• Langstone Harbour
• Eastney
• Southsea East
• Stokes Bay
• Ryde
• Seagrove
• St Helens
• Bembridge
• Whitecliff Bay
• Yaverland
• Sandown
• Shanklin
• Lee-on-Solent
• Hillhead
• Cowes
• Gurnard
• Colwell Bay
• Totland Bay
• Pentewan
• Dunster North West
• Weston Main
• Weston-super-Mare Sand Bay
• Wharfe at Cromwheel - Ilkley Bathing Water
• Southport
• St Annes
• St Annes North
• Blackpool South
• Blackpool Central
• Blackpool North
• Bispham
• Cleveleys
• Fleetwood
• Morecambe North
• Walney Biggar Bank
• Walney Sandy Gap
• Walney West Shore

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas