Miss England surfer can't train because of sewage spill
Miss England is campaigning to save Britain's beaches after sewage spills have left her unable to train for Miss World.
Milla Magee, lifeguard and surfer, had been training off the Cornish coast of her hometown, Newquay, ahead of travelling to Telangana in India on Wednesday for the international beauty pageant.
But the 24-year-old has been unable to keep up with her fitness regime in recent weeks after sewage was dumped in the area.
It has led Ms Magee to wade into the debate over the state of the UK's seas, which she has branded 'a public health crisis'.
The situation has led her to join Surfers Against Sewage, an environmental charity campaigning to protect the ocean, which is demanding an end to sewage discharge into UK bathing waters by 2030.
Ms Magee said: 'As Miss England, a surfer, and founder of the GoFarwithCPR campaign, I've seen firsthand how powerful the ocean can be – not just for fitness, but for mental health and community.
'That's why it's devastating to see Cornwall's waters polluted with sewage.
'Lately, many of us have had to stay out of the sea because it's simply not safe, and that's more than just a missed surf – it's a public health crisis.
'As we bid farewell to winter, the days start getting longer, the sun is shining, we want to enjoy our beaches. However, this rise in pollution just simply isn't safe.'
She said it was vital to ensure more was done to preserve Britain's coastlines.
'We need urgent action to protect our coastlines and keep the ocean a place of healing, not harm,' she said.
'For the people who don't live by the sea and understand these issues, for the children who want to enjoy nature's playground, and for the locals who simply just want to enjoy their home.
'Get involved with organisations like Surfers Against Sewage or simple beach cleans, is such a small act for an even bigger effect.'
Last year, raw sewage was poured into England's water for 3,614,428 hours compared to 3,606,170 hours in 2023, 1,754,921 hours in 2022 and 2,516,187 hours in 2021.
In 2020, raw sewage remained in England's water for a total of 3,101,150 hours.
Rivers and beaches, which have high environmental protections in place, were not immune to significant sewage discharges.
Figures show the areas most affected in England for raw sewage spills were Salcombe and Chittlehamholt in Devon, and Duloe in Cornwall – with Duloe experiencing the equivalent of one spill per day.
Both the north and south-west of England, including the Croal and Irwell rivers in Greater Manchester, Darwen in Blackburn, Avon Bristol Urban, and Calder Middle rivers in West Yorkshire, are known to have the highest rates of sewage spills.
But the Environment Agency said the total number of spills were down – meaning that on average, spills in 2024 were longer in duration.
In May 2023, the agency said a total of 16 per cent of assessed surface waters in England achieved 'good' ecological status, including 14 per cent of rivers and lakes, 19 per cent of estuaries, along with 45 per cent of coastal waters and 93 per cent of designated bathing waters.
Findings suggest that water quality is higher in Scotland, where around two-thirds of surface waters are classed as having 'good' ecological status, compared to 40 per cent in Wales and 31 per cent in Northern Ireland.
Southern Water indicated in plans unveiled in October that they had considered increasing bills over the next five years by more than any other UK water company.
In 2019, a total of three Southern Water employees were convicted of hampering the Environment Agency when it was trying to collect data under its investigation into raw sewage spilled into rivers and on beaches in south-east England.
None of the individuals involved were issued with a fine after several employees said they had been told by the company solicitor not to give data to the regulator.
Two years later, Southern Water was awarded a £90 million fine after pleading guilty to thousands of illegal discharges over five years.
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