Bexhill woman 'handed £350 vet bill after dog swam in sea' following Southern Water spill

A shop owner from Bexhill claims she had to pay a £350 vet bill to save her sick dog, after it got ill swimming in the sea off East Sussex.

It follows a number of sewage spills in the area, including from a Southern Water treatment plant last Wednesday (17 August) that closed a five-mile stretch of coastline.

Rachel Hoath said: “My dog got very ill and it cost me £350.

"She swallowed quite a lot of seawater and then she was being sick. She’s getting better and she’s on antibiotics, but she had to have blood tests.”

Rachel, who owns a craft shop selling glass products at the De La Warr Pavillion on the Bexhill seafront, said her husband had been in the sea with their dog - a 15-year-old Jack Russell mix.

Luckily he didn't swallow any water himself and didn't get ill.

“It’s disgusting, absolutely awful,” she said. “One of the lifeguards went in on Monday and he got very ill.

“I don’t understand how it can happen really. I mean, in the middle of August for people coming here on holiday to not be able to go in the sea, people will be staying away from the beach. It’s dreadful and it’s revolting.”

The 52-year-old also said that the beach closure and recent discharges have affected her business because people have stayed away or chosen other places to visit. She added business has been affected by recent rail strikes that have meant “August is not going that well”.

In relation to the “significant issues” that led to the closure of East Sussex beaches Southern Water said: “We’re very sorry to say that a significant issue with electrical power at one of our wastewater pumping stations has caused a release into the sea at Bexhill.”

Rother District Council responded and advised people not to enter the water between Galley Hill and Normans Bay.

The Southern Water statement added: “We are liaising closely with the Environment Agency and Rother District Council and providing information to assess the potential impact of this event.”

Bexhill’s beach has now re-opened.