Furious protesters are to stage a march and rally in Southend High Street over “disgusting” sewage spills in the bathing water off Southend’s beaches.
Campaigners with Southend Against Sewage will band together on May 18, waving signs, banging drums, and holding flags as they continue to demand action.
The planned protest comes after the loss of Thorpe Bay’s coveted blue flag in February and to highlight the “poor state of Southend’s beaches”.
Recent data from the Environment Agency revealed 400 sewage spills were reported in Southend in 2023, an increase from 120 spills in 2022.
It comes as Anglian Water plans to invest £2million on creating a “green oasis” at Southend’s City Beach to tackle surface flooding water and has vowed to tackle sewage overflows and introduce “all-year round” testing.
Southend Against Sewage was formed in 2021 after founder, Shah Haider, was caught in a sewage spill while swimming near Thorpe Bay.
He hopes the protest march and “paddle out” will open residents’ eyes to the “appalling” state of the city’s beaches.
Mr Haider, 50, said: “We want to be seen and heard, we want to give the message that Southend can do better, we just don’t understand how these problems haven’t been rectified.
“We are to team up with surfers’ against sewage, and we are going to be marching from Sealife to the Odeon Plaza. When we get there, we will invite politicians, including Anna Firth, to give a two-minute speech to the crowd. It will be very democratic, and everyone has something share about this, we are trying to come together as a community.
“We will be then taking the march back to the seafront.”
In February, Thorpe Bay beach missed out on a Blue Flag - which highlight beaches which are considered clean and safe for swimming.
Mr Haider added: “We want more blue flags. Thorpe Bay may have lost its one, but we don’t want to give an overall negative message.
“Southend can do better, we can do better, and we are trying to get more people involved in the conversation with the march.
“That is why we are doing this through the city centre and on a Saturday, so they too can have a say about what is happening on the seafront.”
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