A warning has been issued for a North East beach regarding water pollution.
The public has been warned of water pollution at Seaton Carew and urged to not bathe or swim in the sea.
The popular beach is always a hit with dog-walkers and swimmers during the summer months.
Currently, it is the only beach in the North East with a water warning in place.
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“Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.
“Seaton Carew is a small resort on Tees Bay to the south of Hartlepool. Seaton Carew North is the northern end of an extensive sandy beach fronting the town. There is a sewer overflow directly on the beach at Seaton Carew North.
“Stream and river sewer overflow discharges may also have an affect on bathing water quality here, especially after heavy rainfall.”
The summer has seen countless locals and visitors enjoy days out to Seaton Carew, however, the current pollution problems will most likely affect visitor-numbers.
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A political argument broke out last month over sewage being pumped into the North Sea with Labour politicians slamming the government over a vote on the issue last year.
A spokesperson from The Environment Agency said: “There are a number of factors that can influence the quality of bathing waters.
“These include wind, sunlight, rain and tide and can lead to short term pollution arising as bacteria is washed into the sea.
“Sources of the bacteria can include water draining from agricultural and urban land during periods of heavy rain, as we have seen over the last couple of days.
“Short term pollution cases are where we expect the pollution to last for no more than 72 hours and we use the Pollution Risk Forecasting system to give out information when this will happen and to advise against bathing.”
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