EXCLUSIVE Revealed: How Britain's wild swimmers face being struck down by stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea if they take a dip in new bathing spots - but is YOURS at risk? By Jon Brady and Ben Endley and Jaya Narain Published: 04:04 EDT, 26 May 2024 | Updated: 04:33 EDT, 26 May 2024 e-mail 2 View comments Strap on your budgie smugglers - England has 27 new designated bathing spots ready for eager dippers keen to make the most of the nation's rivers and beaches . Or at least that's the idea. Tests conducted by MailOnline at some of the new swimming spots across the country reveal several of them are riddled with E.
coli bacteria that can cause stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea. One of the spots has so much of the faecal bacteria that swimmers have been told to stay away. Our tests prompted Feargal Sharkey, Undertones singer turned environmental campaigner, to label the designation scheme a 'scam'.
While the Environment Agency (EA) says the levels of E. coli in most of the waters we tested are too low to worry about, experts say the country's water shouldn't have any bacteria at all - adding that they wouldn't dare stick their head beneath the surface. We tested six of the 27 new spots given official bathing water status: Wallingford Beach in Oxfordshire, Fordingbridge in Hampshire, Steamer Quay in Devon and the sea waters at Rottingdean, Goring and Worthing beaches in Sussex.
A Mail reporter stands in the water on the River Thames at Wallingford Beach in Oxfordshire .
