Britain ranked bottom of Europe’s table for clean sea swimming

Experts have found English waters are five times more likely to polluted than any in the EU and holidaymakers are less likely to enjoy “excellent” quality waters than in Europe

Britain’s swimming waters are set to become the filthiest in Europe.

Experts have found English waterways are five times more likely to be polluted than those in the EU. They say it is pushing the UK down the path of becoming the “dirty man of Europe”.

Campaign group Best for Britain analysed the quality of bathing waters under UK and EU standards. And a damning report has found that across all four nations of the UK, holidaymakers are less likely to enjoy “excellent” quality waters than in Europe. England had more bathing waters rated as “poor” quality than any country in the EU.

The research found while 64.2% of England’s bathing waters were rated excellent by the Environment Agency last year, 85.4% of the EU’s were excellent according to the European Environment Agency in the same period.

Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, which campaigns for closer ties between the UK and EU, blasted: “People are rightly appalled by the disgusting state of the UK’s rivers, lakes and beaches.

“Clean water should be guaranteed to all, and no one should have to risk their or their child’s health simply by enjoying a swim or paddle on a sunny day.

“Once again, when it comes to environmental regulation, enforcement and protecting people’s health, the European Union leads the charge.

“This is yet more evidence ministers must properly implement and enforce existing standards – and keep pace as the EU raises the bar in ways that can tangibly benefit millions, as our polling shows voters expect.”

Amy Fairman, head of campaigns at River Action, added: “It’s outrageous that the UK now sits amongst the worst performing countries for water quality in Europe – and unless we act, we’ll return to our shameful position as the ‘dirty man of Europe’.”

It comes as the government is changing the UK’s water regulation system, including scrapping the regulator Ofwat after branding it not powerful enough to punish water companies pumping sewage into Britain’s waterways.

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