AN URGENT warning has been issued to Brits after children were left with rashes and tummy upsets following swims at popular beaches.
Shocked parents were outraged when their kids' beach days at Tywyn, North Wales, were ruined after emerging from the water with a "horrible fishy crab smell".
Several disgusted beachgoers have warned against popular North Wales holiday spots and claimed the sea wreaks of sewage.
North Wales reported one horrified mum who visited Tywyn beach said: "You could smell it on the children’s skin and costumes as they came out of the sea! It stank plus the colour was very brown!"
A walker claimed the stench was the worst they had experienced in “45 years”.
Meanwhile, a swimmer said the water was like “watered-down orange tapioca”.
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“I have seen kids being sick down the beach…. absolutely disgusting", claimed one fuming local.
Officials have since said the root of the issue is algal blooms which are non-toxic and harmless despite their concerning smell.
A Natural Resources Wales (NRW) spokesperson said: “They can be a nuisance, as they form a brown, frothy scum on the water and, when breaking down, they can smell like sewage.
"We will continue to monitor the situation and further water samples will be taken.”
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One long-term resident explained algal blooms have been common for years and swimmers should simply "move or get out" if they come across them.
He said: "Don’t let kids drink sea water and, if you’ve touched something on the beach or in the water you’re not sure about, then wash your hands as soon as you can.
"This is nature and we can’t do anything about it."
Rumours of a sewage spillage from a nearby water works plant were squashed by utilities company Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.
A spokesperson said: “Our wastewater treatment works at Tywyn is operating normally and we can confirm there have been no operational issues over the weekend.
"While we are tankering waste into the works from Dolgellau, Tywyn has plenty of capacity to deal with the waste – it is not affecting the works’ ability to treat wastewater to the high standards required.
“We would also add that our works at Tywyn has an ultra-violet treatment process which is a disinfectant process the treated water goes through before being safely returned to the environment.
"We are aware of claims locally that the tankered waste is being put straight into the sea, but we can confirm this is most definitely not the case. We are arranging to meet with the community council to confirm this too."
But, the top 10 worst sewage spills in North Wales were also revealed.
At number one was Nant Brisgyll, from Llanffestiniog treatment works with a whopping 307 sewage spills.
River Artro came in tenth with 156 sewage spills from Llanbedr terminal storm overflow.
This comes as research revealed the popular beaches which saw the most sewage dumped into the ocean last year.
The study, conducted by the Liberal Democrats, used data from the Environment Agency and discovered a staggering 1,504 sewage spills affected Blue Flag beaches in England last year, despite them being awarded the accolade for being safe and clean.
Worst affected was Blackpool Sands beach, the Guardian reports, which saw sewage discharges by Southern Water happen 65 times, lasting 1,014 hours.
Another Devon beach, Meadfoot beach had 79 sewage spills, lasting 946 hours, while Brighton Beach had 107 hours of sewage discharge, happening 45 times last year.
Plus, Brits headed to St Mary's Bay on Romney Marsh in Kent have been slapped told not to swim there for the rest of the year.
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The warning comes after fecal matter was found in the water, leading to unsafe levels of bacteria.
And last summer, Brits were told to stay away from as many as 50 beaches across the UK due to dangerous levels of pollution.
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