Volunteers were left disappointed after a monthly beach clean in Littlehampton was called-off due to a sewage discharge.

Arun District Council (ADC) placed ‘do not enter the sea’ signs on the beach on Sunday, August 30, after a ‘discharge of untreated sewage’ was released into the sea 5km off the coast.

The authority added: “The Foreshore team did also advise the public not to use the beach as anything washed up on it, including litter, could also be contaminated if the results were found to be positive.”

Volunteers were already headed out with bags and litter pickers at 9am when their regular meeting at East Beach was ‘brought to an abrupt halt’.

Arun District Council placed a 'do not enter the sea' warning on the beach. Photo: Claire Thompson

placeholder image — Arun District Council placed a 'do not enter the sea' warning on the beach. Photo: Claire Thompson

Sarah Kirk Brown, who organises the monthly beach clean with equipment provided by Surfers Against Sewage and support from the Beach Café, said volunteers were ‘naturally angry’.

The group’s monthly beach clean reportedly removes around a tonne of rubbish each year, much of it light plastics which don’t biodegrade and can put wildlife at risk.

Sarah said: “We had an extra clean this month so the beach itself should not be too bad in terms of rubbish and litter, just what’s washed up, but people turned up at 9am to start cleaning and were really disappointed to be turned back and in some cases, naturally, angry.

"The beach clean is a lovely sociable occasion, a great chance to be with others in the fresh sea air – made not so fresh by Southern Water.”

The empty beach on Sunday. Photo: Claire Thompson

The water company said its storm release system ‘operated as intended’ after Littlehampton received ‘more than five times the average daily rainfall for August on Saturday evening’.

A Southern Water spokesperson said: “Heavy rainfall over the weekend resulted in several of our storm release systems activating as intended to protect homes, schools and businesses from flooding.

"Hardened ground caused by the hot, dry summer is less able to absorb water, meaning that large volumes of rainfall instead flood directly into the combined sewer system, increasing pressure on the network and resulting in storm overflow releases.”

Sue Wallsgrove, leader of the Green Party Group, has invited CEO Lawrence Gosden to ‘meet with local councillors to discuss this awful and ongoing issue’.

She added: “On the last bank holiday before school returns, residents and holiday makers have been denied access to clean bathing water due to Southern Water’s lack of investment in its failing Victorian infrastructure.”

Data from Southern Water’s Rivers and Seas Watch recorded five ‘genuine’ releases at Sea Road between 9.51am on August 29 and 10.12pm on August 30, two of which were confirmed to have impacted water quality.

A further release from Littlehampton’s Foreshore Tank lasted one hour and 35 minutes and also impacted the town’s water quality. Two more releases, totalling 47 minutes, were recorded in Ford Road, Arundel, and impacted Littlehampton’s bathing water.ADC said: “As a precaution Arun District Council put signage in place to advise the public not to enter the water.

ADC added: “The council was advised by Southern Water that testing would be taking place to assess the water quality. Once the council was informed of the results stating the water quality was ‘excellent’ signs were removed."