River pollution 'do not swim' warnings removed

Warnings to avoid swimming along parts of a Devon river after a pollution incident have been lifted, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

The EA said it had advised people late on Tuesday not to bathe in several areas of the River Dart after soil from a field had got into the river after heavy rainfall.

On Thursday, the EA said the warnings had been removed following an investigation along the river.

EA officials said they urged landowners to be mindful of weather forecasts and to take steps to prevent pollution in waterways.

The no bathing warnings were put in place by the EA at Steamer Quay in Totnes, Stoke Gabriel, Dittisham, Warfleet Creek near Dartmouth, Dartmouth Castle and Sugary Cove.

Earlier in May, four areas of the Dart were designated as bathing water sites by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, meaning the areas would be regularly tested for pollution between 15 May and the end of September.

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