Sewage still leaking into sea off Blackpool - Environment Agency

Swimming is still not recommended on a stretch of coastline as sewage is still leaking into the sea, the Environment Agency (EA) has warned.

Thunderstorms over the past 10 days on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire have led to a treatment centre that has a ruptured pipe becoming overwhelmed, the EA said.

The agency could not confirm if the water would be safe by the weekend.

United Utilities said it hoped to have a fix in place within 24 hours.

Mark Garth, director of water waste treatment at United Utilities, said efforts to fix the problem at the centre in Fleetwood were continuing.

"The number of people, number of experts and equipment involved are something that's never been seen before," he added.

Currently, about 100 tankers are being used to remove the equivalent of seven Olympic-sized swimming pools of sewage from the site and neighbouring centres every day, United Utilities said.

But on 11 and 12 June, storms meant the tankers were unable to cope and the waste had to be pumped into the sea, the company said.

United Utilities said it was currently installing new overground pipes which could transport the treated water away from the ruptured section while it was being fixed.

"We're very close. We're about 95% complete," Mr Garth said.

He said he remained "hopeful" that it would be running back at full capacity by the end of the week.

Alan Cavill, Blackpool Council's assistant chief executive, said the town was "still open for business" despite the ongoing issue.

"We check the beaches every morning and they are clean," he insisted.

"Blackpool is sunny and bright and clean."

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