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Canterbury sewage leak: Kent beaches reopen

BBC Tankerton BeachBBC
The council had advised people not to enter the water after a fault at a pumping station

Beaches closed after a sewage leak have reopened following advice from the Environment Agency, Canterbury City Council has said.

The council advised people not to swim between Tankerton and Herne Bay, after a Southern Water pumping station fault led to waste water entering a brook.

Southern Water said the clean-up ended on Monday and it was investigating the cause of the leak on Friday.

The Environment Agency is also investigating, the council said.

It is the third time in less than two months beaches in the South East have closed due to a Southern Water sewage leak.

In a statement, Southern Water said it was "passionately committed to the environment", adding: "We understand the upset and disruption this type of incident causes and we continue to strive to do better."

A council spokesman said the decision to reopen the beaches was made after "very careful consideration" with the Environment Agency.

Public information signs advising people not to swim are being taken down.

An Environment Agency sign
Signs placed at beaches warning people about the pollution are being removed

Bulverhythe beach in Hastings reopened last week after a sewage leak caused by a burst Southern Water waste pipe.

In June, sewage was released into the sea at Margate after lightning struck a Southern Water pumping station.

In July, the firm was fined a record £90m for dumping billions of litres of raw sewage into the sea.