'Keep your bowel motions out of our oceans!' Protesters across the UK call for an end to sewage spills in Britain's waterways as they stage nationwide 'paddle outs'
- Protestors flocked to 12 UK bathing spots today to call for an end to sewage spills
- Surfer's Against Sewage said it was growing 'sick and tired' of water pollution
- The campaign claims that more than 300,000 sewage spills took place in 2022
Protestors flocked to beaches across the UK today as they called for an end to devastating sewage spills.
Surfer's Against Sewage (SAS) staged the mass protest across 12 different bathing spots after growing 'sick and tired' of 'shameless' water pollution.
Paddle-boarders, kayakers and swimmers led the demonstration in Brighton, East Sussex, while others took to the seas in Plymouth, Scarborough and even Edinburgh.
The 'paddle-out' took place following claims that the mismanagement of water companies had led to more than 300,000 spills just last year alone.
It also came after SAS claimed that 85 per cent of people supported a ban on bonuses for CEOs who failed to hit minimum environmental standards.
'The public at large are sick and tired of greed taking precedence over the health of our ocean,' SAS' campaigns manager, Izzy Ross, said.
'These mass paddle-out protests across the country are about holding polluters to account.'
The world's first-ever surfboard made from raw sewage featured at the Brighton protest earlier today.
Other locations included Bedford, Ballyronan Marina in Northern Ireland, Saltburn Pier, North Yorkshire, Essex Bridge, Shugborough, Appley Beach, Isle of Wight, Borrans Park, Ambleside, Windermere, and Warleigh Weir.
Ms Ross continued: 'We will not tolerate their shameless exploitation of our blue spaces any longer.
'Our research shows that trust in water companies is at rock bottom and an overwhelming majority of the UK public call for an end to the excessive bonuses given to water industry fat cats whilst failing to meet even basic environmental standards.
'We refuse to remain silent while water companies ruin our beloved blue spaces.'
SAS alleges that water companies paid out a combined £1billion to shareholders whilst 'relentlessly' polluting waterways all over the UK.
![Surfer's Against Sewage flocked to 12 UK bathing spots today to call for an end to sewage spills. Pictured: Gyllngvase beach in Falmouth, Cornwall](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/20/20/71218873-12106455-image-a-20_1684611653295.jpg)
Surfer's Against Sewage flocked to 12 UK bathing spots today to call for an end to sewage spills. Pictured: Gyllngvase beach in Falmouth, Cornwall
![SAS alleges that water companies paid out a combined £1billion to shareholders whilst 'relentlessly' polluting waterways all over the UK. Pictured: Gyllngvase beach in Falmouth, Cornwall](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/20/21/71219903-12106455-image-a-46_1684613148776.jpg)
SAS alleges that water companies paid out a combined £1billion to shareholders whilst 'relentlessly' polluting waterways all over the UK. Pictured: Gyllngvase beach in Falmouth, Cornwall
![The campaign claims that more than 300,000 sewage spills took place just last year alone. Pictured: Gyllngvase beach in Falmouth, Cornwall](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/20/20/71218869-12106455-image-a-21_1684611656401.jpg)
The campaign claims that more than 300,000 sewage spills took place just last year alone. Pictured: Gyllngvase beach in Falmouth, Cornwall
![Pictured: Protestors in Mawgan Porth, Newquay attending today's paddle-out protest](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/20/20/71218871-12106455-image-a-23_1684611669050.jpg)
Pictured: Protestors in Mawgan Porth, Newquay attending today's paddle-out protest
![Paddle-boarders, kayakers and swimmers led the demonstration in Brighton, East Sussex (pictured)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/05/20/20/71218863-12106455-image-a-24_1684611671893.jpg)
Paddle-boarders, kayakers and swimmers led the demonstration in Brighton, East Sussex (pictured)
Earlier this week, the industry trade body Water UK announced a £10 billion plan to reduce the number of sewage discharges into rivers and seas, while apologising for the pollution and warning that bills would rise to cover the costs.
Water UK's new boss, the former Labour Cabinet minister Ruth Kelly, said in a letter: 'The message from the water and sewage industry today is clear: we are sorry.
'More should have been done to address the issue of spillages sooner and the public is right to be upset about the current quality of our rivers and beaches. We have listened and have an unprecedented plan to start to put it right.'
Water UK said the investment was 'the biggest modernisation of sewers since the Victorian era'.
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