BEACH WARNING

beaches across Scotland have dangerous levels of sewage on them, according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa).

Eighteen of the country’s beaches have been contaminated, with four having completely failed a test for safe limits of faecal bacteria.

Beaches across Scotland had their waters tested and were deemed to have pollution levels above the 35-year-old sewage safety limits in a single test.

Two breaches means the shore has been deemed a failure for the year.

The four beaches which failed the checks are Eyemouth in the Borders, Irvine in North Ayrshire, Sandyhills in Dumfries and Galloway and Lossiemouth East in Moray. A further 14 were badly polluted.

The pollution is thought to come from a mixture of overflowing sewers and animal waste being washed into waterways by rain. It can cause problems for bathers, including causing stomach, ear and skin infections.

A SEPA spokesman said 23 single samples had breached the sewage limit and that four beaches had failed completely.

He said: “Most problems have been due to urban and agricultural diffuse pollution caused by rainfall.

“As in previous years, wet weather has been a significant factor affecting the quality of bathing waters at some locations later in the season.”

Callum Duncan, of the Marine Conservation Society in Scotland, which publishes the Good Beach Guide, said: “These latest results highlight the unacceptable human health threat in some of our costal waters still posed by diluted raw sewage.

“Over half of the beaches tested last year were not recommended by us because of pollution and we believe combined sewer overflow pipes are partly to blame. We know of at least 120 Scottish costal sites with one or more overflows.”

Scottish water said there had been no “unlicenced discharges” from its plants this summer. The National Farmers Union in Scotland (NUFS) said it was “vitally important” that farmers help to tackle pollution.

Jonathan Hall, head of rural policy, said: “Over the last two years the union has been working in partnership with both SEPA and the Scottish Government to raise awareness and improve practice to help reduce diffusion pollution risk.”