Would you swim in the sea?

19 August 2025

Victoria Collins, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, has said that the findings of a Liberal Democrat poll is a “damning indictment” on the state of British seas, and that they are “saddened but not surprised” by the results of the research.

A new poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, undertaken by Savanta, has found that nearly half of Brits (44%) would never swim in the sea during the summer.

The polling also found that 19% of respondents said that even if the Government hit its target of halving sewage spills by 2030, they would actually be less likely to swim in the sea and 45% of respondents said they would not swim in the sea at all.

Victoria has long campaigned for an end to sewage dumping in local waterways, with Harpenden and Berkhamsted home to four precious chalk streams that have been severely impacted by pollution. The River Ver alone has suffered over 4,000 hours of sewage discharge, highlighting the scale of contamination affecting these ecologically vital waterways.

Victoria said: "These polling results are deeply concerning but sadly reflect the reality that people across Britain face," said Victoria Collins MP. "When families can't trust that their local beaches and rivers are safe for swimming, we have failed in our most basic duty to protect our natural environment.”

"The chalk streams in Harpenden and Berkhamsted are some of our most precious natural assets, yet they continue to be polluted by sewage discharges. The shocking figure of over 4,000 hours of sewage discharge in the River Ver over the past year is just one example of how water companies are treating our waterways as open sewers."

Victoria has called on the Government to do more to protect our "invaluable" waterways, and says that the new regulator has to be established as soon as possible and given the powers it needs to hold water companies accountable for sewage dumping.

"We need immediate action, not empty promises. The Government must strengthen penalties for water companies, invest in proper infrastructure upgrades, and ensure the new regulatory framework has real teeth to enforce meaningful change. Our communities deserve clean, safe waterways they can enjoy without fear of contamination."