Warning as slurry pollutes stream near beach

The Environment Agency said a 6km (3.7-mile) section of the stream had been polluted

People have been advised not to swim in a stream which flows onto a Cornish beach due to a pollution incident.

The Environment Agency (EA) said slurry pollution from a farm had entered a 6km (3.7-mile) stretch of the waterway near Mawgan Porth beach on Saturday.

It said the source of the pollution had been stopped and no reports of illness had been received, but there remained a risk of reduced bathing water quality and people were advised not to go into the stream.

An EA spokesperson said officers visited the site on Monday morning to take samples from the stream and expected the do not swim advice to be in place for a few days.

Thousands of spills

The use of storm overflows by water companies to discharge sewage into rivers and the sea is hugely controversial.

Rules allow for some spilling, but water campaigners say it is happening too often and poses a threat to wildlife and the health of swimmers.

In 2024, the duration of spills by South West Water was the highest of any water company in England, increasing to 544,000 hours from 531,000 in 2023.

The overall number of spills by the company dropped slightly, to 56,000 from 58,000, but is still above the 42,000 seen in 2020.

The government said it had boosted the powers of water regulators to tackle pollution and that the independent water commission launched in 2024, would recommend long-term reform of the water regulatory system.