Bude sea-pool users call for year-round sewage alerts

Supporters of Bude Sea Pool said people "need to know if the water is clean or not"

There are calls for improvements to the system that alerts people about poor water quality at Cornwall's beaches.

Bude Sea Pool was affected by legally discharged sewage after heavy rain in December.

Sewage alerts from South West Water are only available in the summer, but the company said it was reviewing the way its data was shared.

Paul Tilzey, chair of the Friends of Bude Sea Pool, said the alerts needed to be all year round.

"We do get alerts in the summer when the water is going to be polluted, but in the winter we do not get these alerts," he said.

"People are desperate to get in the water and swim and they need to know if the water is clean or not."

South West Water said storm overflows that release sewage "perform a necessary and very important job" as "legal safety valves to prevent sewers from becoming overloaded".

The utility added: "We provide information all year round to various partners, including Cornwall Council and the Environment Agency.

"We are reviewing the way this data is shared to ensure it is easily accessible to the public throughout the year."