'No swimming' warning to remain at two Kent beaches until 2025 due to polluted water

  • ITV Meridian's Joe Coshan reports from St Mary's Bay beach, speaking to a local business owner and the area's new MP

Two Kent beaches will have 'no swimming' warnings in place until at least 2025, following 'Poor' water quality samples that contained 'high levels of pollutants'.

An 'advice against bathing' warning has been in place at St Mary's Bay since February 2023, and a similar advisory was issued for nearby Littlestone beach since January.

It follows previous water quality sampling by the Environment Agency, which indicated higher levels than recommended of pollutants.

An Environment Agency spokesperson stressed the beach continues to remain open for public use, adding: "The advice is issued to make the public aware of the suitability for bathing."

But local businesses say the warning is inevitably turning people away.

Since the swimming warning, Dino Johnson says his hotels have lost an estimated £10,000 in bookings. Credit: ITV Meridian

Dino Johnson, who runs three hotels in the area, told ITV Meridian: "We've had hardly any tourists, and have just a handful [of bookings] for the next four weeks, in what should be our busiest period.

"The only guests we have here for the moment is workers from Dungeness station, people passing by going to Dover and repeat business people visiting families, no tourists.

"I've been telling people trying to book over the phone that they're being advised not to swim here, just in case they're coming down for a surfing holiday or something.

"I don't want them turning up and being immediately disappointed, but it's losing me business."

Mr Johnson, who runs Foreshore House, Littlestone House and the Captain Howey Hotel, added: "I reckon, across my three hotels, I've lost around ten thousand pounds worth of bookings, over the last 18 months."

An 'Advice against Bathing' notice has been in place at St Mary's Bay since January 2023. Credit: ITV Meridian

Water quality at St Mary's Bay hasn't been rated 'Good' since 2014.

Southern Water insist there have been no overflows with the potential to impact bathing at St Mary’s Bay since 2021.

They say they have tracked down illegal connections spilling sewage from homes to surface drains and streams and re-lined sewers.

Tony Vaughan, Folkestone & Hythe's new Labour MP, says he will raise the issues with the Environment Secretary.

Folkestone & Hythe's newly-elected Labour MP Tony Johnston, criticised the lack of investment in the area's infrastructure, claiming the water company has allowed the water quality to deteriorate before fixing the problem.

He told ITV Meridian: "The Water Special Measures bill will address this, the big thing is personal criminal liability for water bosses where they don't comply with the rules.

"One of the things that the water companies agreed with was doubling compensation for sewage related incidents to households and businesses.

"But we'll also be introducing customer panels, which are going to be able to scrutinise water companies so that customers get value for money, because ultimately at the moment we're not getting that."

A Southern Water spokesperson said: “The decline in water quality at St Mary’s Bay underlines the need for partnership working. Our nearest outfall has not spilled since February 2024."

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We will continue to regularly sample the bathing waters over the summer and at the end of the season the results will be assessed alongside those of the previous three seasons. Should an improvement in classification be seen, then the ‘Advice against bathing’ would be removed for 2025."

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