The Lyme Response to the Sunday Times

Received this letter from Mike Lewis, Town Clerk of Lyme Regis, addressed to the Sunday Times..........

Dear All,
My response to the article in the Sunday Times.
Mike

The Editor,
The Sunday Times,
1 Pennington Street,
London. E98 1ST
15th June 2007
Dear Sir,
Front page 10th June - “Swim in British waters at your peril”, inside page “Health-risk beaches” and separate map entitled “Sick seas”.
Ref: Church Cliff Beach, Lyme Regis, Dorset
With reference to the article last Sunday concerning the state of Britain’s bathing waters, in particular the references to Church Cliff Beach Lyme Regis; I must register concern, on behalf of Lyme Regis Town Council, at the impression given to the reader that swimming from this beach
would be risking the health of those foolhardy enough to take the plunge.
I enclose for your edification the results, published by West Dorset District Council, of the Environment Agency’s water quality sampling off this beach for the whole of last season (2006) and the readings to date from similar testing this year.
As you will note Church Cliff Beach did not at any time during the sampling period fail the current EU guidelines for bathing water quality.
The laudable aim of the article may well have been to alert the bathing public to the fact that the EU is considering raising the standards by which sea water is tested for unwelcome organisms injurious to health.
However the inclusion of Lyme Regis on a map (albeit bearing the rider in very small print that these are forecasts), leads the reader to believe that these are resorts with a problem of water quality, and in our case is likely to have been based on outdated information. The several articles will undoubtedly have left the public with the mistaken belief that this beach and its bathing waters should be avoided at all costs this season by those wishing to enjoy a healthy holiday.
This is not to say that Lyme Regis can afford to be complacent and the Town Council will be working with partner agencies to ensure that the resort can meet the new water quality standards when the time comes. The intention is to continue to offer both residents and the many visitors a healthy and safe marine environment worthy of the accolade of World Heritage status.
The Town Council would urge therefore that in the next edition steps are taken to ameliorate this currently damaging and misleading impression of Lyme Regis.
Yours faithfully,
M.LEWIS
Town Clerk
Lyme Regis