Popular UK vacationer seashore ‘too harmful to swim’ – but it surely’s not the waves that may get you

A beloved beach in a popular tourist hotspot frequented by Brits has been declared unsafe for swimming due to polluted waters. The Environment Agency, which provides an interactive map highlighting England’s coastal areas at risk of pollution, has flagged up a site in North Devon. From May to September, the agency carries out weekly water quality checks at bathing sites across England. This ensures that the designated coastal bathing water sites maintain high water quality standards and are safe and clean for swimming and other activities.

Each site is classified annually as excellent, good, sufficient or poor based on samples taken over a period of up to four years. Wildersmouth Beach in Ilfracombe, nestled next to the Landmark Theatre on the town’s seafront in a sheltered cove with a rocky cliff and stone sea wall, has been classified as poor by the Environment Agency, which advises against swimming there.

This was the site where a young girl contracted a parasitic bug in 2018, resulting in a two-night hospital stay. According to the most recent data from the Environment Agency’s website, water samples from the area contained 250 colonies of E.coli and 94 colonies of intestinal enterococci per 100ml of sample water. For this reason, there is a permanent advisory against swimming, reports the Express.

However, if you’re looking to brave a winter dip in Devon, Hele and Tunnels beaches, both in Ilfracombe, are suitable for swimming.

If you’re planning on taking a dip in open water, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from pollution and illness. Make sure any cuts or scratches are covered with a waterproof plaster, try not to swallow any water, and wash your hands and swimwear as soon as you can after your swim.