THREE children have been left with skin infections after swimming in the sea at Gwithian - before pollution found there forced the beach to be closed.

Heavy rain led to raw sewage spilling into the Red River and flowing onto the beach, forcing Penwith district council to close the beach for three days.

A Yorkshire family was swimming in the water when they saw lifeguards closing the beach due to a suspicion that South West Water's storm water overflow had kicked in - leading to raw sewage being spilled into the Red River.

Following the swim the holidaymakers' three children developed impetigo - a skin infection caused by bacteria that forms round, crusted, oozing spots which grow larger each day.

As reported in The Packet, tests showed water quality in the sea and the river were well below the minimum European bathing standards. South West Water accepted torrential rain at the end of August had led to the storm water overflowing into the river.

Stephen Swain, a spokesman for the water company, said: "South West Water does have a consented storm water overflow from the Camborne sewage treatment system into the Red River. If there were not overflows on sewerage systems then in storm conditions sewage would fill the sewers back up and discharge in people's properties," he said.

"If it is connected in anyway with the water, well there is always bacteria in the water. Rivers and estuaries are natures drains. "Obviously I'm sorry any children had any problem but you cannot think it must have been sewage or it must have been cow dung unless there is evidence."

The Marine Conservation Society and environmental group Surfers Against Sewage have called for improvements to storm water overflow systems.

Richard Hardy, a spokesman for SAS, said: "This is the second summer in a row where beach pollution incidents have been linked so closely with sewage related illness in humans, much of it in young children.

"Unfortunately storm water overflows seem to be discharging much too frequently and are therefore putting bathing water quality at risk."

Mr Hardy, from the St Agnes-based group, has called on local authorities to improve their beach signage information to highlight potential sources of sewage pollution and when the risks of becoming sick rise, for example after heavy rainfall.