Hundreds protest in Worthing against raw sewage dumped into the sea

It was part of a day of action against water companies across the country, with 12 demonstrations taking place in the UK at the same time.

The demonstration in Worthing was organised by Surfers Against Sewage.

Last year, beaches across the South were closed after sewage spills, while last month Brighton and Hove Green Party councillors and activists also called on Southern Water to stop releasing sewage into the rivers and the sea.

The march in Worthing was part of a country-wide demonstration

... and attracted people of all ages

Between 2010 and 2015, the water company dumped untreated sewage on more than 10,000 occasions at 17 sites examined by the Environment Agency, with 78 per cent of these being illegal.

The company was fined a record £90 million in July last year for illegally discharging 21 billion litres of raw sewage.

The Brighton and Hove Green Party said that while Southern Water is proposing to reduce sewage releases by 80 per cent by 2030, this does not go far enough.

Dr Toby Willison, Chief Environment & Sustainability Officer at Southern Water, said protecting the environment is a "key priority" for the company.

"We stand with Surfers Against Sewage and we are already delivering the improvements they – and our customers - want," he said. "Our people are swimmers, paddleboarders and kayakers too and volunteer alongside people protesting today to clean beaches.   

"As part of our commitment to transparency, our Beachbuoy app shows in near real-time, 365 days a year, any release with the potential to affect bathing water. We are planning to extend this service by adding water quality data in the future."

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