Bexhill had most pollution-risk warnings of Sussex beaches

Environment Agency daily forecast records from May 6 to September 2 show Bexhill received 18 increased risk warnings – meaning an increased pollution risk was forecast on 15 percent of the 120 days covered by the data.

Worthing and Worthing Beach House each received 14 warnings, followed by Hastings Pelham Beach with 13 and Bognor Regis East with 11.

On September 2, the Environment Agency’s data showed increased risk warnings at seven Sussex bathing waters: Bognor Regis (Aldwick), Bognor Regis East, Worthing, Worthing Beach House, Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings Pelham Beach.

The figures cover 30 Sussex bathing-water sites.

Thirteen received at least one increased-risk forecast, while 17 – including Brighton Central, Brighton Kemptown, Hove, Saltdean, Rottingdean, Seaford and Shoreham Beach – had none in the records examined.

Warnings were concentrated around particular episodes rather than spread evenly across the summer.

The biggest single-day cluster came on 29 August, when the Environment Agency forecast increased risk at 13 beaches.

Ten sites were warned on 19 May, while nine were warned on 2 June and again on 6 June.

However, the data should not be read as a count of sewage spills or confirmed pollution incidents.

The Environment Agency’s Pollution Risk Forecasting system gives daily advice at selected bathing waters when water quality may be temporarily reduced.

It considers conditions associated with poorer water quality, including rainfall, tides, wind and other local factors.

Heavy rain can wash bacteria and other pollutants from land and urban areas into the sea, and may also put pressure on sewer networks.

But an increased-risk forecast does not itself prove sewage was discharged at a beach, establish where pollution came from or measure its scale.

Separate Environment Agency data lists two sewage incidents during the same period: at Eastbourne, beginning on 31 August, and Littlehampton, beginning on 30 August.

The Littlehampton incident ended on September 1, with the Eastbourne incident lasting until September 2.

The findings come after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that sewage spills had damaged UK tourism on September 1, and that the government was considering “all possible solutions”.

Speaking in the Commons for the first time since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Burnham warned that the privatisation of water would be “difficult to reverse,” but that the Government would set out plans for stronger public control of essential services later this year.