Popular Welsh beach closed by slurry spill

A tourist beach in West Wales has been closed after a tank on a farm in Ceredigion burst, leaking thousands of litres of slurry.

Firefighters were called to New Quay beach on Tuesday afternoon when the burst tank was found to be polluting a nearby stream.

According to the BBC, Natural Resources Wales said it was working with the fire service to ensure "as much slurry as possible has been contained on the site, and this slurry is currently being tankered away offsite to be disposed of safely."

A spokesperson added: "We believe that the quantity of slurry that has entered the stream and the sea will disperse quickly this evening with the tide and the wind, and is unlikely to have any significant or lasting impact on water quality.

"Our officers will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days."

According to This is South Wales, the watchdog thinks that any of the 15,000 litres of slurry that entered the sea via the waterway is unlikely to have a huge impact on the area's water quality.

New Quay's main beach was closed in the afternoon, as well as nearby South beach.

It has not been confirmed how long the beaches will remain closed to the public.

Last year, the Good Beach Guide revealed that Britain's beaches had scored higher than ever for water cleanliness.

516 out of 754 UK beaches earned the highest rating for water quality, but some English water companies were reluctant to release information about the raw sewage they release into coastal waters.

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