HOWEVER hot it is, however tempting the sparkling water - don't do it.

The Environment Agency is warning people not to bathe in inland waterways after children were taken sick at a Dorset beauty spot.

Patricia Gardiner from West Morden contacted the Daily Echo after her children fell ill twice after swimming in the River Stour downstream from a sewage treatment plant.

She took a party to Ibridge near Wimborne earlier this summer and everybody went down with diarrhoea and vomiting.

She went again last week with five children who all fell ill again, which made her decide it must be the water.

"Four of them are off school and the fifth has severe stomach pains," she said.

"Dozens of people were snorkelling, swimming, canoeing and the tots were there with their nets.

"I can't think of a more popular beauty spot but we won't go there again."

Mrs Gardiner called for a notice to be put up warning people not to bathe.

Mike Dunning from the Environment Agency said: "It's remarkably tempting at some of these lovely spots but it's not something the Environment Agency encourages.

"There might be currents and underwater obstacles and agricultural run-off could contain bacteria."

Water leaving sewage plants was of a minimum standard under normal circumstances but Wessex Water had the power to discharge partially treated effluent or even raw sewage in extreme conditions, he added.

Ian Drury from Wessex Water said that his company had come out top in England and Wales for compliance with standards but he confirmed there had been extreme conditions at times over the summer which could have led to partially-treated waste being released.

"We would be more than happy to set up a meeting with Mrs Gardiner," he added.

Alex Brannen for the National Trust, which owns the land, said: "It is impossible for the trust to put up warning signage at every point to cover all eventualities, nor would it choose to do so.

"We trust in the common sense of visitors to our properties," he added.

First published: September 15