Sidmouth beach closed after raw sewage found
A beach in Devon has been closed to the public after diluted raw sewage was discharged into the sea.
Sidmouth beach was closed on Friday afternoon, after the sewage was found to have discharged from the long sea outfall.
South West Water (SWW) said Sidmouth's pumping station had been "overwhelmed" with waste water following a power cut.
East Devon District Council has advised people not to enter the water between Jacob's Ladder and Alma Bridge.
In a statement SWW said: "Following last night's storms we have experienced a power failure at The Hams Sewage Pumping Station, Sidmouth.
"As a result the sewage pumping station was overwhelmed with waste water and some was discharged out to sea via the long sea outfall."
The water company said a temporary electricity supply was being installed to resolve the problem before being permanently fixed next week.
The Environment Agency said it was monitoring the situation.