Unknown pollutant at Fife beach sparks warning

Warning notice at Aberdour beach (Pic: RNLI Lifeguards)

The warning was posted by the RNLI Lifeguards Scotland after torrential downpours hit the Kingdom.

It also red-flagged all beaches across Fife – with the exception of Elie Harbour and Coldingham Bay – for the low water quality.

The most serious warning came in Aberdour where the organisation advised people not to set foot on the sand or enter the sea.

It also urged people not to take anything home from the beach, such as fish or shellfish.

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Its posting on Facebook advised: “Due to an unknown pollutant being released into the sea, it is vital we inform all members of the public to not step foot on the sand or in the sea due to risks of contamination.”

The service said it had been informed by Fife Coast and Countryside Trust that due to the recent high volume of rainfall the water processing infrastructures have been unable to cope.

It said: “This could mean pollutants ranging from agricultural run-off to drain water could now be moving into the Forth without being properly filtered and cleaned by the systems in place.”

RNLI Lifeguards Scotland also extended its initial warning to include a string of beaches on the east coast.

In its latest update on Sunday, the RNLI Lifeguards stated: “Out of our seven patrolled beaches only Coldingham Bay, Leven and Elie Harbour will be fully operational and therefor flying their red and yellow flags. These flags indicate the safest area on the beach to be paddling, wading or swimming.

All other beaches including Silver Sands (Aberdour), Burntisland, and East Sands and West Sands (St Andrews) will remain red flagged due to poor water quality. We advise all members of the public to avoid entering the water at these listed beaches.”

If you require any further information or updates on predicted water quality,contact SEPA on their beach line service: 03000 99 69 99.