A LEADING North-East politician has hit out after learning that a town's residents are living with a "health hazard on their doorstep".

Martin Callanan, Conservative MEP for the region, said he was "appalled" to hear from the Marske Residents' Association that their village beach has been blighted for years by sewage and domestic waste.

The situation has become so bad that one resident has even been hospitalised as a result of going into the sea.

Mr Callanan was due to visit the area today to see the problems for himself.

He said: "It is simply unacceptable for residents to have to put up with this kind of health hazard on their doorstep.

"Not only is it a physical danger for people who want to enjoy their local beach, but it also blights a scenic part of the North-East coastline.

"I have spoken to Northumbrian Water about this problem and they have assured me that the only time raw sewage would be discharged into the sea would be in the event of heavy rain or storms."

He said this was acceptable under EEC directives.

"However, it would appear that there is a question mark over the ability of the discharge pipes to adequately deal with the current situation and I shall be questioning the water company on the minimum water levels needed for storm discharges and pushing hard for them to speed up their timetable for investment," said Mr Callanan.