People still swimming and paddling in sea off Blackpool despite sewage alert

United Utilities (UU) announced that during Monday (June 12) night’s storm untreated sewage, mixed with rainwater, was released into the sea off the Fylde coast.

This prompted the water company to urge people the next day not to swim or bathe across the coast after the pollution incident, with the Environment Agency involved.

Yet just days later – on Thursday June 15 - visitors were on the resort’s beaches, including the busiest one between North Pier and Central Pier, lying on the sand, paddling in the sea and even swimming in it.

Blackpool Council says it posted messages on social media and also put up warning signs on the seafront, continuing to urge people not to bathe.

But visitors said they couldn’t see the signs – and a search by the Gazette could not find any on the seafront by the main tourist beach either.

A notice was in place in quieter Bispham, on a board next to the seafront tram station, but it was a relatively small blue and white poster which was not easy to spot.

What the visitors said

Claire McGuire, who was visiting from Birmingham with family, including her infant daughter, sad: “We didn’t hear about this.

"There should be more signs in place, we haven’t seen anything.

"I’m glad I kept my daughter out of the water.”

Another visitor, a 50 year old mum from Nottingham, was on the beach with her 14 year son and said: “I read about it on a local community Facebook site in Blackpool so I knew about it.

"It hasn’t put me off being in Blackpool but normally the pair of us would have been in the sea.

"We aren’t doing that this time, I wouldn’t like to take the risk.

"There should definitely be signs in place to make people realise if they don’t already know. We haven’t seen anything at all.”

Three pals from Southport – Jenny Sampson, Martha Elston and Rachael Blake, all in their mid 20s, admitted that the UU warning wouldn’t put them off.

None of the girls were aware of the warning but news of it didn’t bother them.

Jenny said: “I’ve been in the sea today and to be honest, you know it’s not going to be pristine, I don’t care.

"If it was a really deadly thing it would be different, but they’re all over reacting.”

But Martha said: “People should be told so they can choose – we haven’t seen any signs here warning people about the water or sewage or anything.”

The Blackpool Council response

A Blackpool Council spokesman said: “The advisory notice to not swim in the sea is still in place.

“There are signs up on the promenade in Blackpool that were put in place as soon as the Environment Agency issued their advice.

"Additionally, we are reinforcing that message across our social media channels, through our media colleagues and contacts, and using our networks to communicate this message as much as we can.

"We are also increasing the size and number of the signs along the seafront.

“We very much hope that United Utilities can resolve this issue as quickly as possible so we can all go back to enjoying a paddle in the sea.”

The reason given for the spillage

United Utilities (UU) said in a statement: “United Utilities is carrying out urgent repair work to a burst pipe which carries water after it has been treated and cleaned from Fleetwood wastewater treatment works to the sea.

"The treatment works is currently running at a reduced rate while engineers plan and carry out the repair work to the pipe which lies nine metres underground.

"The reduced capacity at the treatment works and in our network as a result of this burst meant there was less storage available than normal to deal with the heavy rainfall last night. This resulted in storm overflows operating. We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local councils as we respond to this.”

However, a UU whistleblower, who didn't want to be named but worked within the company, claimed a burst pipe was in fact the collapse of an outfall pipe and was concerned that even the slightest bit of rain could cause a catastrophic incident which would see sewage leaking into rivers and up through grids into roads.