A BEACH has reopened after raw sewage spilled into the sea.

Bulverhythe beach in Hastings closed last Friday after a pipe carrying upward of 540 litres per second of sewage burst, flooding the area and nearby beach huts.

Hastings Borough Council has today confirmed that the beach is now open to the public after works to repair the burst main were completed.

In a post on social media, a Council spokesman said: “Southern Water has a small works compound on site as it continues to reinstate the area.

“Access is restricted through the compound which will remain in place until reinstatement works are complete.

“These including re-turfing and internal cleaning of the beach huts affected.

“Cyclist and pedestrian access along the coastline via the multipurpose pathway is available.”

Specialist repair contractors and Southern Water employees worked throughout the week to repair the pipe, which was switched back on and allowed to leak again, to prevent flooding elsewhere.

The Environment Agency advised against swimming at Pelham and St Leonards beaches because of a risk of reduced water quality due to the sewage.

In July, Southern Water was fined a record £90 million after bosses admitted dumping sewage illegally thousands of times over a five-year period.

The company pleaded guilty to 6,971 unpermitted sewage discharges - the equivalent to one pipe leaking continuously for seven years.

Tonnes of sewage polluted rivers and coastal waters in Kent, Hampshire and Sussex between 2010 and 2015, a court heard.

Passing sentence, the Honourable Mr Justice Johnson said, of the formal 51 guilty pleas, that the company’s behaviour had been “shocking”.

The criminal prosecution followed a £126 million penalty on Southern Water in 2019 as a result of the company’s regulatory failings over the same period.

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