Raw sewage 'discharged at Cornwall and Devon beaches' Published duration 28 July 2015

image copyright Surfers Against Sewage image caption Godrevy was affected by untreated sewage discharge last year, but the Environment Agency said the discolouration could have been caused by other things, not raw sewage

Forty incidents of raw sewage polluting beaches across the south west at the weekend happened because of water company systems failing, environmental campaigners have claimed.

The charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) said heavy rain caused untreated sewage to be discharged into the sea through many combined sewer overflows.

Campaigners claim South West Water's systems "aren't coping".

The company said it had made big improvements to bathing water quality.

Andy Cummins, of SAS, said there had been more incidents in Cornwall and Devon over the weekend than in the previous 10 weeks, including at Croyde, Perranporth and Newquay's Fistral beach.

"The system is at breaking point," he said.

"If there is no rain it should be fine... however as soon as we do get some rain we are seeing these sewer overflows discharge."

'Temporary impact'

Steve England, editor of surf magazine Carve, from St Agnes in Cornwall, said he was shocked on Sunday, and urged the water company to "get its act together".

"I had to take the decision not to go surfing. I could not take my daughter or son in the sea in the knowledge that South West Water had been discharging raw sewage to my local beach," he said.

He had received alerts from Surfers Against Sewage's Safer Seas Service

A South West Water spokesman said it had spent more than £2bn transforming bathing water in the south west and was planning further work.

A statement added: "Combined sewer overflows have prevented customers' homes, gardens and businesses flooding with sewage... The discharge is very diluted and the impact is temporary."

The firm said the issues reported over the weekend had been cleared, apart from problems at Readymoney Cove and Par in Cornwall, which were under investigation.

image copyright Matt Cardy/Getty Images image caption Campaigners said incidents were reported at Croyde, Perranporth and Newquay's Fistral beach