Additional reporting by Gabriel Morris

The “blacklisting” of a whole beach for months on end due to its no-swim warning has been blasted by an MP.

Tony Vaughan, who represents Folkestone and Hythe, says the blanket ban in place at Dymchurch is unfairly damaging the area because authorities are not testing the water regularly enough.

Mr Vaughan has spoken out against the move by the Environment Agency (EA) which has placed the Romney Marsh beach under scrutiny after pollution was found in the water.

In November last year, the EA rated the bathing water quality at several beaches across Kent.

Dymchurch was downgraded from “sufficient” to “poor” due to increasing levels of bacteria such as E. Coli.

Businesses in the village later criticised the effect which the rating would have on the local economy, which heavily relies on tourists and beachgoers patronising shops and hospitality venues.

Today, Labour’s Mr Vaughan visited the beach, telling the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The issue is that the Environment Agency doesn’t want to test the water for half of the year.

“We need to have more data so we have more of a basis to say on a particular day if the water is safe.

“They’ve blacklisted a whole beach and a whole area.”

The Environment Agency’s tests are done based on an analysis of 20 samples taken from each of the sites it monitors over the course of the bathing season between May and September.

Last year’s samples saw such an increase in bacteria levels that the agency downgraded Dymchurch, meaning that this swimming season visitors are advised not to enter the sea at all.

However, Mr Vaughan was visiting alongside Rui Andres, whose firm has invented a device which allows water testing with results within half an hour.

“We have to get to the bottom of this and I think more testing in more places is one of the ways we are going to do that,” added Mr Vaughan.

Margaret Manion, 72, has a static caravan in Dymchurch and describes it as a “lovely place to be”.

However, she says the Environment Agency’s warning puts a damper on their visits.

“Last year, one of our youngest grandchildren, Teddy, who’s nine, was in the water for most of the day and then I realised apparently how bad the water was that particular day and spent the next couple weeks really worrying about his health.

“He was okay but it was a concern.”

She also suggested more regular testing and updates could help: “Why have such a lovely beach like this and be unable to swim? It doesn’t make sense.”

Susan Regelous, 57, who was visiting the beach today, added: “I must admit I am a bit wary [of the sea water].

“When we were children we always came down here in the summer for a little paddle so it is a shame.”

Previously, local campaigners and politicians have blamed the high pollution on Southern Water’s sewage discharges and storm overflows, as well as agricultural run-off making it into the water system.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “Lawrence Gosden, our chief executive, had a very constructive conversation with Tony Vaughan MP at the drop-in event we held at the Houses of Parliament recently.

“One of the ideas that came up was support for citizen testing around Dymchurch and we are currently liaising with Mr Vaughan’s office and other local groups to see how we can support this.

“We are working hard with local councils, the Environment Agency and other stakeholders to understand what has been causing declines in water quality at Dymchurch.

“We know none of our storm overflows affect the area and high samples correlate strongly with sea temperature, bird numbers and high beach use.

“We are conducting extensive investigations to find illegally connected pipes into the surface water network instead of our sewers.

“Only by working together can the issues be identified and corrected.”

“It is essential that the local community are involved…”

In a statement, the Environment Agency said more than 400 locations across England met the required standard for bathing in 2024, more than double the figure 30 years ago.

“Bathing waters are hugely important for communities and for the environment – and we know there is growing public demand for bathing sites across the country,” a spokesman said.

“While overall bathing water quality has improved in recent decades due to targeted investment and robust regulation, the poor results for Dymchurch show there is much work still to do.

“Suspected pollution comes from a variety of sources. Our specialist officers are working with Southern Water and Folkestone and Hythe District Council to find ways to improve bathing water quality along the south-east Kent coast.

“It is essential that the local community are involved and aware of what they can do to help improve water quality.

“The public can find out where best to swim by getting the latest information on water quality at Dymchurch, the rest of Kent and England at our Swimfo website.

“Any concerns about water quality pollution in rivers and seas should be reported immediately to our 24-hour incident hotline: 0800 807060.”