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Dog owners have been urged to clean up after their pets on beaches to eliminate the risk that poo poses to bathing waters in Cornwall.

In a new campaign, launched by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), it has been revealed that some people believe that leaving dog poo on the beach is okay because the tide washes it away.

But this 'natural disposal technique' can affect water quality and pose a risk to public health because of the high levels of bacteria contained in dog mess.

A spokesman for the MMO said: "That's why organisations and campaigns from across the UK are uniting this week for #binit4beaches; a campaign focused on reducing pollution and litter at the beach and calling for dog owners to help with ongoing improvements.

"Millions of people head to the UK’s beaches to relax, paddle and swim every year and we want water quality to be the best it can be.

"Last year 98.3% of England’s bathing waters met the tough standards.

"By working together, we can continue to help protect and improve water quality. So, if you visit the beach with your dog please do your bit to help by bagging and binning your dog poo, making the beach safe for everyone to enjoy."

(Image: Roland Monger)

The MMO revealed:

Dog poo contains high levels of bacteria. Just one gram of dog poo diluted in one million litres of sea water (that’s enough to fill six double decker buses or two and half standard swimming pools) could pose a health risk to bathers.

Less than half a teaspoon of dog mess contains enough bacteria to potentially affect the classification of a bathing water.

Dog mess contains high levels of the two types of bacteria that are measured when testing bathing water quality and can determine whether the classification of a bathing water is excellent, good, sufficient or poor.

You can check the bathing water quality rating for your local area on the Environment Agency’s interactive map.