Quality check on county's water

Samples will be taken from beaches which have had problems before

The Environment Agency is carrying out a series of pre-season checks around the Cornish coast before this year's bathing season begins next month.

Six sites around Cornwall will be sampled and the results should show any problem areas which need to be tackled.

The checks were first introduced six years ago to give early warning of any possible water quality problems.

These could be caused by pollution from farms, holiday parks, hotels or other coastal operations.

Tougher guideline

Samples will be taken from sites which have had water quality problems in the past.

They include beaches which attained the EC Bathing Water Directive's mandatory standard, but failed to achieve the more stringent guideline standard.

Last year, all 191 EC designated beaches in the South West passed the mandatory standard making the region's beaches the cleanest in England. Almost 90% also reached the tougher guideline standard.

The agency is also working with South West Water and private sewage dischargers to ensure outfalls and screening units are operating correctly.