Swimming warning after E. coli outbreak at beach

Officials have put up the signs around Greve de Lecq

Jersey's public health boss has urged people not to swim at a beach after high levels of E. coli were found in the water.

Prof Peter Bradley, director of public health, said an investigation into the cause of the pollution in Greve de Lecq was ongoing.

Signs warning people not to swim in the water at the beach have been put up.

Jersey's Infrastructure and Environment department said on X, formerly Twitter, that a water sample from the beach had an E. coli count that was considerably higher than the European threshold for poor water quality.

'About being wise'

The government said tests carried out on Wednesday to try to pinpoint the source were inconclusive.

The pollution control team took three further samples on Thursday and these are being analysed by experts.

Prof Bradley said people who were ill from E. coli could feel sick and have diarrhoea, but in most cases it was a very mild illness.

He said he was unaware of any cases linked to the incident at Greve de Lecq, but it was important for people not to swim there or to allow their pets into the water.

"It's about being wise and being aware of the risk," Prof Bradley said.

The government advised anyone feeling unwell after swimming in the water to contact their doctor.

The government says it regularly monitors 16 bays around Jersey for water quality between May and September every year.