THANET beaches have been closed after a sewage discharge at Foreness Point.

A Southern Water pumping station spilled waste onto the foreshore and Thanet council decided to close all Thanet beaches for bathing as a precaution.

The public are advised to stay landward of the high tide line and refrain from entering the water until further notice.

Beach cleaners and litter pickers are on the Thanet coastline whilst council and Environment Agency offices work with Southern Water Services fully assess the situation.

It is likely that beaches will remain closed for at least two days.

Red flags have been placed on beaches and RNLI Lifeguards are informing visitors of the closures.

Jon Griffin, Senior Environment Officer at the Environment Agency, said: "We are carrying out a full investigation and are working with Southern Water and Thanet District Council to reduce the impact of the spillages as much as possible.

"We will continue to monitor the bathing water quality over the coming days and will advise Thanet District Council accordingly."

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Thanet beaches closed after Southern Water sewage pump discharge