Pollution risk issued for Hastings beach

The pollution risk warning was issued at 8.30am this morning by the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, and advises visitors against entering the water due to poor water quality.

A Hastings Borough Council spokesperson said: “We have had a pollution risk warning advising against swimming at Hastings Pelham Beach this morning.”

The Environment Agency has published pollution alerts for numerous beaches across the country, saying that recent heavy rainfall has affected water quality.

A spokesperson for the agency said: "The Environment Agency makes a daily pollution risk forecast at this site based on the effects of rain, wind, sunlight and seasonality on bathing water quality.

"These factors affect the levels of bacteria that get washed into the sea from livestock, sewage and urban drainage. When these factors combine to make short-term pollution likely we issue a pollution risk warning.”