Comedian Vic Reeves appeared undeterred by a Kent beach’s ‘no-swim’ warning when he and his wife took a dip during the heatwave.
The 66-year-old, whose real name is James Moir, was pictured swimming in Deal with model wife Nancy Sorrell – despite Environment Agency alerts that ‘bathing is not advised’ because of the sea’s poor water quality.
The couple, who live in Charing, near Ashford, shared various photos of themselves on the pebble beach on Instagram, alongside a video of the pair chest-deep in the water, with Nancy captioning her post ‘beautiful day in Deal’.
But their sea swim was met with some surprise from followers with one person commenting: “Deal is on a ‘do-not-swim’ warning for high levels of pollution. Hope you stay well” while another added “you just know how polluted that water at Deal is”.
The water quality off Deal was downgraded to ‘poor’ last November after investigations by the Environment Agency (EA) – a result furious residents and businesses described as “devastating”.
The area was previously rated “sufficient” – but increasing levels of bacteria such as E. coli led to the new ranking, which remains in place for 12 months and means people are warned against going into the sea there this summer.
EA information, published on Dover District Council’s website, explains that where swimming is not advised, the final decision as to whether to go into the water still ultimately rests with the public.
It reads: “At bathing water locations where advice against bathing is in place, beaches will remain open for people to visit.
“The EA and partners remain committed to improving water quality. As well as displaying the advice against bathing, reasons for the Poor classification will also be displayed, so that people can make an informed decision on whether to go into the water.
“These standards help us to provide advice and inform the public on local water quality – they do not mean swimming is prohibited and all beaches will remain open.”
