Lynmouth swim race postponed due to 'sewage discharge'
The event will now take place on Friday 15 September instead
An swim race in Lynmouth has been rescheduled after being postponed over the weekend.
Organisers of the annual Richie Berry Cup say they cancelled Sunday's event due to "sewage discharge" into the harbour.
South West Water say the storm overflow activity in the village over the weekend followed heavy rainfall.
In a statement on Facebook, swimming club Lynseals said: "SWIM POSTPONED TILL FRIDAY 15th September, exact times to be confirmed.
"Our safety team met at the harbour today and due to the sewage discharge by South West Water into Lynmouth Harbour we are not prepared to risk the health of swimmers.
"We also have not received confirmation from SWW if there will be further discharges or up to the minute data on the quality of the water. The winds are also WNW blowing the sea directly onto the harbour which will not aid clearing the discharge.
"We apologise for the cancellation but hope you will understand our concerns."
A South West Water spokesperson said: "We can confirm there was storm overflow activity in Lynmouth over the weekend following heavy, localised rainfall.
"Storm overflows are pressure relief valves built into our network that are an essential way to stop homes and businesses from flooding during periods of heavy rainfall.
"However, reducing the use of storm overflows is a priority for us and we are investing record levels to do so.
"In Lynmouth specifically, we are investing over £4.25 million to March 2025 to reduce the risk of environmental impact from our sewerage network and maintain excellent bathing water quality."
The annual Lynmouth Richie Berry Cup swimming race will take place on Friday 15 September at 6.00pm.