Waste in bay identified as algal bloom by EA officers

ENVIRONMENTAL officers say they have found no evidence of household sewage in a west Cornwall bay after reports of brown sludge in which locals insisted they could identify human faeces, toilet paper and sanitary products.

- by JEFF REINES

Following two days of rain the material was seen in St Ives Bay on Wednesday, April 16, at the same time as sewage alerts were being issued for 36 beaches.

Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage's (SAS) sewage alert map shows the locations across the country where sewage overflows have taken place, which frequently follow heavy downpours.

The next day a large expanse of a brown substance was seen just outside St Ives' harbour at around 9.30am (April 17) by a local boatman as he prepared to start a day of boat trips.

He said he saw tampons, tissue and even human waste floating.

"It was absolutely awful", he said.

"I was on my outside mooring sorting the boat for a mackerel trip and I saw all this raw sewage, brown sludge and poo.