Brits heading on UK holidays have been warned not to swim at popular beaches following recent rainfall, including popular spots like Bournemouth and Brighton.
A new interactive map from Surfers Against Sewage highlights which beaches have been affected by heavy rainfall in recent days, causing sewage to be discharged into the ocean.
In fact, a health warning has been issued at some of the spots, warning Brits that storm sewage has been discharged in the area within the last 48 hours.
As reported by The Sun, the interactive map, shows the real-time tracking of sewage overflows and pollution risks in British waters.
The warning stated: "Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours."
Which beaches are affected?
Some of the popular UK beaches which have been affected include:
- Seaton
- Porthluney
- Pentwean
- Combe Martin
- Widemouth Sand
- Summerleze
- Beer
- Poole
- Bournemouth Pier
- Brighton
- Scarborough
- Herne Bay
- Tankerton
- Robin Hood's Bay
The news comes just weeks after Britain's cleanest and dirtiest beaches were revealed, based on analysis of E. coli amounts in the water.
The bacteria is produced in the intestines of humans and its presence can be a sign that sewage has been dumped in an area.
Treyarnon Bay in Cornwall placed at the top of the clean list - in fact, it was one of five Cornish spots to make it in the top 10, in the analysis which looked at 425 beaches.
Meanwhile St Anne's Beach in Lancashire was found to have 86 times more of the bacteria than Treyarnon Bay, with 4,338 parts of E. coli.
However, the Environment Agency has said that those planning beach days out should not be too concerned.
A spokesperson for the agency said: “We would like to reassure concerned members of the public that the coastal bathing waters in St Anne's meet bathing water quality standards.
"Recently published data widely circulated by Business Waste does not give a realistic picture of bathing water quality.
"The data does not use the formally adopted method for rating the quality of bathing waters in England and the rankings published by Business Waste should be treated with caution.
“In 2021, 99 per cent of bathing waters met the minimum standard of Sufficient, with 94.7 per cent meeting the highest standards of ‘good’ and ‘excellent’.”
