Camerons may have gone surfing in raw sewage

DAVID and Samantha Cameron may have surfed in raw sewage during their holiday to Cornwall earlier this week.

South West Water have confirmed that untreated human effluent was pumped into the sea off the beach in Polzeath on Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon.

Mr and Mrs Cameron were photographed swimming in the sea on Monday and Tuesday, unaware they may have been bodyboarding in untreated waste. The campaign group Surfers Against Sewage had warned surfers against entering the water because of the potential health risks. South West Water have admitted that the sewage was released into the sea at Polzeath via a “storm drain” after heavy rain.

David Smith, Surfers Against Sewage campaign manager, said: “There could be anything from a small health risk such as skin, eye, ear, or throat infections to much more serious conditions such as E.coli or hepatitis which can be present within raw sewage.

“It can also contain a bacteria resistance to antibiotics which once in the gut means you could have a life-long rejection to them.

“There have been two recent incidents in Polzeath. The World Health Organisation recommends that the public should leave the scene for between 24-48 hours before all of the powerful pollution has removed itself.

“There is potential that if the Camerons were swimming within the time frames of a spillage that they might well be at risk.”