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David Cameron and Samantha went bodyboarding in sea 'polluted with diluted sewage'

The Prime Minister was on his annual holiday in Cornwall when the incident reportedly occurred

Heather Saul
Friday 28 August 2015 17:16 BST
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David and Samantha Cameron on holiday on Polzeath
David and Samantha Cameron on holiday on Polzeath (Getty)

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David Cameron and his wife Samantha may have gone surfing in sea water polluted by diluted sewage during their holiday in Cornwall.

South West Water confirmed to the The Times that untreated effluent was pumped into the sea twice last week off Polzeath beach following bouts of heavy rain.

The Prime Minister and his family visited the beach on Monday and Tuesday afternoon last week, but are believed to have visited the beach everyday. They take their annual holiday in the area every year.

The campaign group Surfers Against Sewage released a warning message through the Safer Seas Service app that the Combined Sewer Overflow at Polzeath beach was being activated on Sunday and Wednesday, according to the newspaper.

Swimmers are advised not to enter the sea for 48 hours after the effluent is pumped out into the water.

David Smith, the campaign manager for SAS, said: “If the Camerons were swimming within the time frames of a spillage they might well be at risk.

“There could be anything from a small health risk such as skin, eye, ear, or throat infections to much more serious conditions such as E.coli or hepatitis which can be present within raw sewage."

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