A TEMPORARY warning not to swim in the sea off Minehead beach was issued this week by the Environment Agency.

It said there was a ‘pollution risk’ following recent heavy rain, and issued a ‘bathing is not advised today’ notice on Tuesday (June 9).

However, the agency later lifted its warning, although it continued rate the Minehead bathing waters with one star out of three, meaning the quality was ‘sufficient’.

The incident comes as the holiday season sees an increased number of visitors to West Somerset.

A spokesperson said: “The Environment Agency uses weather and tidal data and other sources of information to make pollution risk forecasts to work out when bathing water quality might be temporarily reduced due to factors such as the weather.

“When the forecasts highlight an increased risk of reduced water quality, pollution risk warnings will be issued and advice against bathing is displayed on ‘Swimfo’ and on signs at the beach.”

The spokesperson said the agency did not ‘specifically make predictions of sewage pollution’ but instead forecasted expected variations in water quality due to the measurable effects of ‘rain, wind, tide, sunlight, and time’.

They said the water quality off Minehead’s 1.6 miles of sand and shingle beach was usually considered ‘sufficient’, based on sampling results.

Warnings not to swim in the sea are usually based on recent rainfall, which affects the levels of bacteria being washed into the sea from livestock, sewage, and urban drainage via rivers and streams, and how they disperse.

Most pollution risk warnings last a day but the warnings can last for several days in a row.

Further along the West Somerset coast, the agency continues to advise against swimming off Blue Anchor and Dunster beaches.

The two village beaches were recently awarded brown ‘poo flags’ for a third year in a row.