'Get out of the sea' Tannoy warning issued to families on busy UK beach

One of Wales' top beaches, famed as a family favourite, was abruptly cleared on Saturday afternoon, 18th May. Revelers enjoying a balmy day out at Barry Island were confounded when authorities raised an alarming "water quality" warning which ushered hundreds from the water.

The festive atmosphere of Gwyl Fach y Fro, flaunting music, street entertainment, and food and drink stalls had drawn throngs to revel in performances from Vale school children and stars such as Sage Todz. However, the fun received an abrupt dampener around 4pm when a tannoy announcement declared an unsafe swimming alert.

This warning followed a troubling assessment from marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage, stating that 19 Welsh waterfront destinations have been either polluted by storm sewage or rated as having inferior water quality.

A pollution alert was issued for Barry Island beach, stating: "Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours. The bay is a sandy 700m cove located, west of Barry Docks and Jackson s Bay. It faces south towards the Bristol Channel, backed by the dock area and the town of Barry. Seaside shops can be found in the immediate foreground, with limestone cliffs on either side and headlands called Friars Point to the west and Nell s Point to the east."

Local resident Hayley Graham, who visited the beach with her two children aged eight and one after the festival, expressed her shock at hearing the announcement. She said: "We were so shocked when we heard the announcement. We know that there can be issues with sewage on the beach but you do not expect it on a warm and sunny weekend. There was a lot of confusion and upset. We took the children home and scrubbed them because they had been fully immersed in the water. Even the smallest amount of raw sewage in the water is enough.", reports Wales Online.

One parent described the situation as embarrassing, especially as it occurred during a high-profile cultural event. They said: "It's so embarrassing that this happened during a high profile cultural event when people were cooling off on a hot day as they enjoyed the festival."

Another added: "Lifeguards at Barry Island just told everyone to get out of the water due to low water quality."

Dwr Cymru/ Welsh Water has confirmed that no safety alerts have been issued for the area. We have reached out to both the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Natural Resources Wales for their comments on the matter.

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