Weston-super-Mare's Marine Lake reopens for seafront swimming

Marine Lake in Weston-super-Mare has reopened for the summer following after it was drained of silt and rubbish.

The seafront lake is officially reopening on Saturday 3 July and is now safe to swim in.

It comes after North Somerset Council completed the first stage of a £300,000 project to improve the lake.

For more than two months, high tides were used to naturally flush out as much of the compacted silt as possible.

Two faulty sluice gates were removed to allow the lake to drain fully and diggers were used to churn up the deep layers of silt alongside the causeway to ensure the tides had the maximum impact on flushing out the remaining silt.

New orange and white buoys will be used in the lake to mark changes in water depth.

The council says around 30,000 tonnes of remaining accumulated silt needs to be removed and an application has been made to the government's Marine Management Organisation to remove it mechanically. An answer is expected in the next few months.

The council also said it is working closely with the new community group Weston Marine Lake Mudlarks on the possible long-term maintenance and finance arrangements for the restored Marine Lake.

Work at the site is expected to restart in the autumn.