We have removed our advice against bathing in Exmouth - 25 September

We met again this afternoon with the UK Health Security Agency, East Devon District Council and the Animal and Plant Health Agency to review the latest information.

Based on the sample results we shared, the UK Health Security Agency considers the risk to human health from swimming in Exmouth bathing water to be low. Considering this advice, we are removing our advice against bathing.

East Devon District Council will remove the warning signs from the beach as soon as possible.

Please continue to avoid Littleham Brook

While the bathing water is no longer affected, we continue to advise people and animals to stay out of Littleham Brook. Warning signs remain in place and should be followed.

The situation is improving, but some pollutant remains in sediment on the bed of the stream. If this sediment is disturbed, there is a risk that pollution could be released downstream and potentially reach the sea.

Our officers have successfully contained much of the pollutant using sandbags. Specialist contractors are now trialling options to remove the remaining material from the stream. We expect to receive their recommendations shortly and will decide on the next steps.

We will continue to monitor the situation

We are continuing to monitor conditions closely, particularly with rain forecast for Sunday afternoon.

If there is significant rainfall, there is a possibility that pollution could be carried downstream and affect the bathing water again. At present, the pollutant remains settled on the stream bed and there is no evidence that it is reaching the sea.

If conditions change, we may need to reinstate our advice against bathing. Please check Swimfo before swimming for the latest information.

As always, we recommend following the Swim Healthy guidance when swimming in open water.

Why we cannot yet identify the pollutant

We know many people want to know exactly what the pollutant was.

In most cases we would be able to share this information. However, in this instance, doing so could identify the source of the pollution before our investigation is complete.

At this stage, we cannot provide details of any individual, business or organisation that may be linked to the incident. Releasing information prematurely could compromise any criminal investigation or future legal proceedings.

When we are able to share more information, we will do so. However, completing our investigation may take several months.

What we can confirm is that the incident was linked to a chemical spill from premises in Exmouth. It was not sewage pollution.

We ask people not to speculate about the source of the pollution while our investigation is ongoing.