A CYCLIST became alarmed when he spotted an undersea pipe had burst close to the shore and black "soot" was being released into the water.

Bob Baldwin was taking a bike ride at Brighton Marina on Monday afternoon when he noticed the burst pipe.

Photos show the thick grey discharge in the water.

Mr Baldwin said: "I was at the Marina when an undersea pipe burst.

"I was just there on my bicycle with a friend when from the high concrete breakwater we saw a huge plume of this stuff being discharged.

"I hopped down the steps to the lower level where there was a man on a phone saying he'd just reported it.

The Argus:

"Apparently it discharges 'soot' from the inner harbour, further out to where a buoy sits offshore.

"The pump soon got switched off and it stopped, but it is obviously a strong and constant flow of this horrible stuff, whatever it is.

"It makes me wonder what on earth they're doing dumping this just a few hundred of yards out on the seabed."

However, a spokesman for Premier Marinas said the discharge from the pipe is due to a yearly dredging programme and the material removed is all natural marine silt.

The spokesman said: "We undertake an annual programme of dredging activity within the tidal marina to ensure the build-up of natural marine silt deposited by the tide is removed.

"This activity adheres to the conditions of a Marine Licence issued by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

"The MMO authorise the dredging and the disposal of the dredged material to a site located several hundred metres offshore via a pipeline.

"The dredge disposal pipeline suffered a small split on April 19 and operations were quickly halted to effect a repair.”