Untreated sewage has been dumped into the ocean surrounding the Isles of Scilly in water that is home to some of the rarest and most diverse nature in Britain.
Puffins, seals and humpback whales are among the wildlife that can be spotted on the islands, almost 30 miles off the southwestern tip of mainland Cornwall, which attract around 125,000 visitors from mainland Britain each year.
The archipelago has historically not been protected by the same environmental rules as the rest of the UK, meaning authorities have been pumping sewage directly into the sea without treatment.
Shorts
South West Water (SWW), which took over responsibility for the islands in 2020, had plans for “improvement” that would have seen it applying minimal treatment to waste being discharged into a Marine Protection Zone.
