Sidmouth bathing waters rated ‘excellent’ in inspection

Sidmouth’s waters have once again rated excellent from bathing water quality inspectors.

The seafront and Jacob’s Ladder were among a number of East Devon beaches rated good and excellent by Defra.

Beer, Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Sandy Bay also rated excellent with Ladram Bay achieving good.

Inspectors rated more than 400 beaches and lakes across the country which resulted in 92 per cent of bathing waters awarded good or excellent.

Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said:“Maintaining such high water quality standards at English beaches is a huge success and a credit to all those individuals and organisations working hard to keep our bathing waters clean. Water quality has improved significantly over the last two decades - but to protect and enhance water quality even further we will need everyone to take the small actions that will help.”

Ian McKenzie-Edwards, chairman of the town council, said: “We are a coastal town and beach resort and its vital as high a quality water as we can.”