Scarborough: Anti-sewage campaigners warned not to swim in sea

Campaigners who gathered to protest against water companies discharging sewage into waterways were told not to go into the sea due to the poor water quality.

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) organised the event in Scarborough as part of a UK-wide protest.

More than 100 people met at South Bay on Saturday but were told by lifeguards it was not safe to enter the water.

Yorkshire Water said work to improve the water would begin within two years.

SAS is calling for a 90% drop in sewage discharges by the end of the decade. At the weekend protests were held at 12 locations, including on the River Great Ouse in Bedford, Plymouth Sound, Falmouth's Gyllyngvase and in Croyde.

In Scarborough, Steve Crawford from SAS said: "If you went to the water's edge today and asked to go in the water, they would say don't go in the water.

"I run a surf business, I have effectively been unemployed for two weeks with no warning. No-one knows what's happening.

"This beach is a classic example of how bad things can get.

"There have been apologies form the water companies but it's been a long time coming.

"We need to keep pushing them to make sure that things improve."

Despite the warnings not to enter the water, some people did to swim or paddle-board in the sea.

Yorkshire Water chief executive Nicola Shaw said: "Scarborough South and Bridlington South are beaches in which there is more work to do.

"In Scarborough, we have brought forward money and we will be starting work in the next two years to do more things to sort out the situation.

"In Bridlington we are working with the Environment Agency and the local authority to understand it more, because at the moment we don't know what work to do to improve the condition of the beach there."

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