People have fallen ill over 6,000 times after swimming at official bathing spots across the UK over the past five years, according to data collected by the charity Surfers Against Sewage.
On Friday, the Government confirmed the location of 13 new outdoor swim spots to mark the beginning of the official bathing season, which runs from May to September.
However, campaigners warn that hundreds of bathing spots are heavily polluted due to sewage discharges, making them unsafe for swimming.
Swimmers, surfers and other water users can report when they get sick with illnesses including stomach bugs and eye infections after spending time in open water.
The charity logs the location of these reports to demonstrate the extent to which sewage and other forms of pollution are impacting public health.
