PARENTS in polluted seaside resorts are refusing to let their kids swim in the water – despite tourists still flocking in and giving rave reviews.
Families have sounded the alarm across the Yorkshire coast in popular holiday attraction towns including Bridlington, Filey, Scarborough and Whitby.
They may appear picturesque and yet locals have recommended people stay away due to health concerns.
The alerts are being heeded by worried local residents, even if visitors continue to take a dip in sewage-ridden waters.
Scarborough’s South Bay now has a warning in place for poor water quality.
Mark Wolles, 36, said the news would “definitely” turn him away from the sea.
He said: “I have a one-year-old and I wouldn’t let them go in, especially on the south side.”
Another parent, mum-of-two Hannah said of her kids: “I would let them paddle but that’s it.
“You are definitely more cautious, knowing the water is polluted.”
Another woman, at the beach with her granddaughter, said: “No, I wouldn’t let her go in the water.
“I probably wouldn’t even let her paddle – it’s not great.”
Yet visitors continue to rave about the places online.
One recent admirer on travel reviews website Tripadvisor describes Scarborough as “a slice of heaven”, adding: “South Bay and North Bay beaches are clean and welcoming.”
The town’s beaches were also described as “so clean, lovely and picturesque” while there was praise for its “clean sand and blue water”.
Filey has been described on the site as “amazingly clean and a lovely place to visit” and Bridlington as offering ” beautiful sandy beach, and so clean”.
Meanwhile, tourists taking to Tripadvisor hailed Whitby for what they called “one of the most beautiful beaches in Yorkshire” and a “beautiful beach with great views”.
The pollution warnings, however, have been issued by eco-campaign group Surfers Against Sewage.
The group also recently issued 54 urgent health alerts for beaches across the UK.
Some 1,504 sewage spills affected Blue Flag beaches in England last year, despite them being awarded for being safe and clean.
The worst affected was Blackpool Sands beach, Environment Agency figures suggested – with 65 sewage discharges by South West Water lasting 1,014 hours.
Another Devon beach, Meadfoot, had 79 sewage spills lasting 946 hours – while Brighton Beach had 107 hours of sewage discharge, happening 45 times last year.
Visitors to Blackpool, one of Britain’s top coastal resorts, were last month warned by the Environment Agency not to swim in the sea after a sewage spill.
Complaints have also been raised about sewage being leaked into waterways such as the Cumbrian village of Cark’s River Eea.
Other areas of concern include Gorleston beach, between Norfolk’s Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft in Suffolk.
And earlier this month Thames Water was hit with a multi-million pound fine for polluting rivers.
The company was charged £3.3million after millions of litres of undiluted sewage was allowed to flow into two rivers in October 2017 – the Gatwick Stream and the River Mole between Crawley in West Sussex and Horley in Surrey.
