Beachgoer finds dead fish at Steamer Point

One said they had seen at least ten washed up while walking along the beach on Friday, adding that the sea water appeared ‘dirty’.

The findings were put to BCP Council, who confirmed they had not received any recent reports of dead fish, nor were they concerned about the water quality at Steamer Point.

Read more: Sewage released at four beaches across the conurbation

This comes despite confirmation by Wessex Water that sewage had been discharged at Avon Beach and Friar’s Cliff on Monday following heavy rain at the weekend. 

A local authority spokesperson said: “Our seafront team hasn’t received any reports of dead fish at Steamer Point in Christchurch.

The dead fish at Steamer Point (Image: NQ)

“If we do, it will be dealt with, collected and disposed of. Living by the coast, creatures are washed ashore occasionally.

“We don’t have concerns about the water quality at the location but it’s possible that recent heavy rain falling on pavements and roads has flowed into surface water or highway drains, ending up in local rivers and ultimately the sea.

"The quality of bathing water may be adversely affected as a result of these events."

The Environment Agency also confirmed they had not received any reports on the dead fish at Steamer Point, but urged beachgoers to contact them about such occurrences.

Their spokesperon said: “We urge anyone who spots dead or distressed fish or possible pollution in rivers or watercourses to report it to our 24/7 incident hotline on 0800 807060. A member of staff will be able to take enough detail to enable us to investigate.”