NEW pollution alerts were issued along Teignbridge’s coastline today, after raw sewage was discharged into the sea at Holcombe Beach, Coryton Cove and Dawlish Town Beach. The sewage discharges were a result of the recent stormy weather.

The latest alert comes after a long summer and autumn of sewage and discontent, with demonstrations against the practice organised by Councillor Martin Wrigley last month. At the protest, Councillor Wrigley said: ‘It is an absolute disgrace, in this day there’s no excuse for having systems that are leaking so badly, killing our rivers and seas, it’s pure profit-driven mismanagement of the infrastructure. It’s just not acceptable, and we must do everything we can to hold South West Water to account.’

According to Top of the Poops, an organisation monitoring sewage discharges across the UK, the Central Devon constituency was the seventh worst for sewage dumps last year, with over 4,500 separate sewage dumps, amounting to over 43,000 hours of sewage pumping.

A South West Water spokesperson has previously responded: ‘After listening to and talking with customers, communities and campaigners right across our region, in April we announced WaterFit, our plans to protect rivers and seas together.

‘WaterFit will dramatically reduce our use of storm overflows, maintain our region’s excellent bathing water quality standards all year round and reduce and then remove our impact on river water quality by 2030. Working with partners and customers WaterFit will begin to deliver the change we all want to see.’