Eight beaches across the North East currently have sewage pollution warnings in place.

The map is created by Surfers against Sewage who monitor the water quality of over 400 river and coastal locations to see if people can swim in it without getting sick.

The map shows that currently, eight North East beaches are sitting under a pollution warning and are considered not safe to swim in.

The Northern Echo:

The North East beaches under a pollution warning are:

  • Saltburn
  • Marske Sands
  • Redcar Stray
  • Redcar Granville
  • Redcar Coatham
  • Seaton Carew North
  • Seaham Hall Beach
  • Seaham Beach

It comes as earlier in the month Ray Mears said he would not canoe in some of the UK’s rivers because they are so polluted.

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The television woodsman made his career teaching bushcraft and survival techniques, but in an interview with the i newspaper he lamented the state of British waterways.

The Northern Echo:

He told the paper: “I have seen rivers full of effluent, bubbling like they are full of detergent.

“It’s heartbreaking. I’m a canoeist and there are some rivers I wouldn’t put a canoe in to paddle on, which is how bad it is in some places.

“One of the joys for me is to make a canoe trip in wild places and at the end of the day’s hard paddling is to literally jump in and swim and to feel nature envelop me, and I think that’s magical. We should have those opportunities.”

Only 14% of rivers and lakes in England meet good ecological status and none meet good status for persistent, bioaccumulative or toxic chemicals.

Meanwhile, yesterday, the chairman of The Environment Agency said it should not be issuing penalties of £250 million to water companies who dump sewage.

Speaking to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Alan Lovell said penalties of £10-20 million would be more appropriate, and stressed there was a difference between an EA penalty and a court fine.

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Last month, Environment Secretary Therese Coffey was criticised for reportedly backing down on plans to increase penalties to £250 million.

Mr Lovell said: “The previous secretary of state did suggest that the limit on penalties should increase from £250,000 to £250 million. That number I believe to be higher than should be given to us for a penalty which we can impose.

“For very serious offences we will still prosecute and we are engaged in a very serious investigation at the moment of all water companies, which started 18 months ago.”