Devon swim race cancelled following five hour sewage discharge in harbour

An annual swimming race in Devon has been cancelled following a five-hour sewage discharge in the harbour.

Lynmouth's annual Richie Berry Cup swimming race was due to be held on Sunday 3 September.

However, organisers have said the event has been cancelled following a sewage discharge from South West Water on Saturday 26 August.

It's hoped the race will be able to go ahead on Friday 15 September.

Data on South West Water's website shows the Basket Shop pumping station at Lynmouth Harbour was activated at 5:14am on 26 August and didn't stop until 10:48am that same day.

In a Facebook statement, Lynseals swimming club urged members to formally complain to South West Water

It said: "Our safety team met at the harbour today and due to the sewage discharge by South West Water into Lynmouth Harbour we are not prepared to risk the health of swimmers.

"We also have not received confirmation from SWW if there will be further discharges or up to the minute data on the quality of the water.

"The winds are also WNW blowing the sea directly onto the harbour which will not aid clearing the discharge.

"We apologise for the cancellation but hope you will understand our concerns."

In response, a South West Water spokesperson said: “We can confirm there was storm overflow activity in Lynmouth over the weekend following heavy, localised rainfall.

"Storm overflows are pressure relief valves built into our network that are an essential way to stop homes and businesses from flooding during periods of heavy rainfall.

"However, reducing the use of storm overflows is a priority for us and we are investing record levels to do so.

"In Lynmouth specifically, we are investing over £4.25 million to March 2025 to reduce the risk of environmental impact from our sewerage network and maintain excellent bathing water quality.”

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