New wild swimming guidance met with concern from campaigners

The owner of Warleigh Weir said the government did "not understand wild swimming"

Campaigners say they are worried new guidelines will leave many areas without any designated swimming waters.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs has issued new rules on how to apply for bathing water status.

Johnny Palmer, owner of popular wild swimming spot Warleigh Weir near Bath, said he felt the government "did not understand wild swimming".

Defra said the guidance made applying for bathing water status "clearer".

If a site is designated, the Environment Agency will monitor water quality during the bathing season to protect the health of people bathing.

The new guidelines include proving 100 people swim there regularly and providing toilets.

However, campaigners say despite some of those strict new guidelines, the rules do not include plans to monitor water for all relevant contaminants.

Mr Palmer said he was pleased campaigners were finally being listened to and guidance being issued, but said there was still a long way to go.

'Cocktail of contaminants'

Mr Palmer added: "I think they want sites to be clean for the public good, which is noble, but it doesn't reflect the reality - that public waterways are often not clean and that is why we need designated bathing status."

Wessex Water monitors bacteria levels at Warleigh Weir - but it says it cannot look for all chemicals.

Penny Johnes, professor of bio-geochemistry at the University of Bristol, said: "There is a huge cocktail of chemical contaminants in water bodies wherever there are people or wherever there is farming.

"In most of our rivers there are thousands of pollution sources and they are incredibly challenging to deal with."

A Defra spokesperson said: "We encourage applications and provide this guidance to help people understand the criteria that must be met, including the need to show that the site is regularly used by a sufficient numbers of bathers.

"The updated guidance makes applying for our bathing water designations clearer and more streamlined for applicants and groups have until the end of October to submit their applications this year."