Heacham's coastal waters have been classified as "poor" by the Environment Agency since 2021, with the cause of the problem being hotly disputed among experts and locals.

After another 'poor ' result, Sandra Squire, cabinet member for environment at West Norfolk Council, admitted the coastal waters off Heacham may always have high levels of pollution.

Sandra Squire, cabinet member for environment at West Norfolk Council (Image: Norfolk Independent Group)

DNA studies suggest 60pc of the Intestinal Enterococci (IE) recorded may be coming from seabirds, which visit the Wash in huge numbers throughout the year.

IE is the main bacteria causing the problems at Heacham, which is found in human and animal waste and, if ingested, cause severe stomach upsets.

Scientists are yet to gather a full picture of the sources of poor water quality at Heacham, with sewage from misconnections, agricultural run-off and dog........

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