One in three beaches 'pose a health risk'

A new study by the department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) has revealed that 35 per cent of beaches in the UK fail to meet the World Health Organisation's minimum safety requirements for swimmers.

Marine Conservation Society (MCS) pollution officer Thomas Bell blamed wastewater as one of the main causes, with heavy rainfall at the end of the summer causing sewers to overflow into the sea in a number of areas, the Sunday Times reports.

Mr Bell called on the UK's sewer overflow network to be overhauled to cut down on these problems in the future.

He commented: "We believe this network needs significant new investment to reduce its pollution impact, as well as new measures to tackle storm runoff from farmland and city streets."

Highlighting the impact of wastewater on some beeches, 12 per cent of those assessed by Defra failed to meet the minimum UK standards for levels of bacterial and faecal contamination.

The MCS's 2007 Good Beach Guide found that 60 per cent of Britain's beaches can be recommended for bathing purposes, but suggested that this figure may decline in the future due to changes in rainfall patterns, the Guardian reported.