Wembury Beach closed as 'burst' at sewage works sparks emergency repairs

A Devon beach has been closed to the public while emergency repairs are carried out at a nearby sewage station.

South West Water has confirmed there has been a burst pipe at Wembury Beach Pumping Station, near Plymouth. It is unclear whether or not it is polluting the beach.

Tankers are being used to move waste from the site while repairs are carried out.

As such, the car park at the beach has been closed to make room for the lorries.

In a statement, South West Water said: “Due to a burst at the Wembury Beach Pumping Station, we are currently undertaking emergency repair work on our rising main.

"Our teams are working hard and moving tankers to and from the pumping station to manage flows whilst this emergency work is completed.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank the local community for their patience as the work is completed."

ITV News has asked South West Water to confirm if sewage is polluting the water and is yet to receive a response.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We’re aware of an ongoing incident at Wembury relating to a South West Water rising main. 

"South West Water is carrying out a repair and in the meantime, we put out information on our Swimfo website and the National Trust as beach owners put up notices."

The Environment Agency said the environmental impact is likely to be "minor and localised" and will "hopefully end tomorrow."

"Once the works have been completed, an investigation will be carried out by our local environment management team," they added.

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