Unsafe E Coli Levels In More Than 10% Of UK Top Beaches

One Essex location is found to be seven times over safe limit

- MATT MATHERS

Unsafe levels of the vomiting and diarrhoea-causing bacteria E coli have been found at more than 10 per cent of Blue Flag beaches, The Independent can reveal. Analysis of official data shows that eight out of 72 of the country’s best beaches recorded high levels of E coli on at least one occasion last month.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive of the Keep Britain Tidy charity, called on the next government to treat cleaning up the country’s rivers and coastal waters as a “matter of urgency”. The Environment Agency (EA) says water containing more than 1,000 colonies of E coli per 100ml is of poor quality and advises against bathing or swimming in it, although it is not banned. Several of the eight Blue Flag beaches recorded more than double this level, with one seven times over the limit.

Seaburn (Sunderland), Roker (Sunderland), Whitby (Scarborough), Christchurch Avon (Bournemouth), Beer (east Devon) Seaton (east Devon) and Sidmouth beaches all recorded more than 1,000 colonies of E coli in at least one sample taken between 1 and 28 May. Southend, Westcliff Bay (Essex) recorded 7,200.

Blue Flags are awarded to well-managed beaches that meet strict international standards on water quality and cleanliness. The disclosure that some of the beaches – renowned for their usually clean water and pristine sand – recorded high levels of E coli is likely to fuel concerns about sewage spills by water companies.