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Public advised not to enter sea at Portobello due to 'pollution incident'

News imageBBC Portobello beach promenade with a blue sky above scattered with clouds BBC
An electronic sign has been updated to advise people to stay out of the water

People have been advised against going into the sea at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh due to an ongoing pollution incident.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) said routine water testing had found high levels of bacteria on Thursday.

The watchdog is temporarily advising against bathing and paddling while investigations are carried out due to the potential human health risk.

More water samples will be taken to determine the extent of the impact.

Alec Martin at Porty Surf Lifesaving Club said it was "not good enough" that the beach remains closed four days after the results as the group cannot deliver work with local communities.

The club runs water activities as well as coaching in lifesaving and essential water skills in the sea at Portobello.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, he said: "This is the first Sepa alert that advised us to stay out of the water this year.

"There were a couple last year too. Over the weekend there was also an alert for the risk of overflowing sewage but this happens quite often, usually from heavy rain.

"Portobello is a designated bathing water so it should be looked after - otherwise it closes off an essential facility to the huge number of people who use it."

Martin added that demand for the club's services is very high, but it was difficult to help people progress if they could not access the water.

He added: "It is one thing to monitor the cleanliness of the water but if you don't do anything about the issues then what is the point?"

Sepa said it had advised against bathing at Portobello for 11 days last year.

A spokesperson said officers are currently investigating the cause of the high bacteria level at Portobello and will explore any mitigation measures if required.

A spokesman said: "Further water samples will be taken from the bathing water to determine if there is any ongoing impact.

"Advice against bathing will remain in place until Sepa are satisfied water quality at Portobello Central is no longer impacted."