Beauty spot approved to become bathing area

A river in North Yorkshire has become one of 13 new locations to be designated as an official bathing spot.

The 164ft (50m) stretch of the River Swale - just above the picturesque Richmond Falls - has joined sites including the River Thames at Ham and Kingston on the list.

Designated locations are subject to regular water quality testing by the Environment Agency - with findings published during the bathing season, which runs from May to September.

Deborah Meara, chair of the Save Our Swale campaign group, which applied for the change of status, said they were "delighted" with the news, though some have raised concerns about its proximity to the falls.

Nathan Murphy started a petition last year calling for safety improvements at Richmond Falls, labelling proposals to give the river bathing status a "ridiculous idea".

It came after a 12-year-old boy, Khaled Basem Al Satouf, who was from Leeds, drowned in the river last summer.

"The safety of people comes first, and this is not the safest of things," said Murphy last year.

"There are massive undercurrents in the river itself, and the second you jump off the falls you're caught in that whirlwind of water that has a nasty habit of trapping people and dragging them."

Hilary Pews, secretary of the Save Our Swale campaign group, said the designated bathing area was "well above the waterfall", adding: "It's a very shallow area, generally speaking."

An Environment Agency spokesperson said the 13 sites would be "rigorously and regularly tested by the Environment Agency throughout the bathing season, meaning swimmers are better informed about water quality and can swim with greater confidence".

Rishi Sunak, MP for Richmond and Northallerton, also welcomed the announcement after backing the group's application.

He said: "This is a beautiful section of the River Swale Enhancing people's enjoyment of and access to the Swale will bring great benefits to people and also to the wider local economy."

Meara said she did not expect the changes to take effect immediately, but in time swimmers would know about water quality levels before taking a dip.

"This has been a lot of work from a lot of our volunteers over the last number of years, highlighting the pollution in the river," she said.

"We believe the protection it will bring should automatically be in place for all of our rivers."

The government's Water Minister Emma Hardy said: "The introduction of these new bathing sites means better monitoring of our waterways, a boost for local tourism, and greater confidence for local swimmers."

The bathing season runs until 30 September.