PEOPLE ARE BEING advised not to swim in the sea at Malahide beach in north county Dublin after routine testing found unacceptable levels of bacteria in the water.

Fingal County Council released the temporary ‘do not swim’ notice today after the bacteria were found in bathing samples taken on Tuesday.

The cause is unknown and an investigation is underway. The notice will be in place for 72 hours.

• Our colleagues at Noteworthy want to find out if swimming off Ireland’s coast is under threat from pollution. Support this project here.

The council noted that Malahide has a constant red flag and swimming is never advised at the beach.

A resample was taken today with results due on Saturday, when the notice will be reviewed.

The beach remains open but beach users are asked to respect the ‘Do Not Swim’ notice as it has been put in place to ensure that the health of bathers is not compromised.

All beaches that Fingal County Council has identified as bathing waters met the standard for “excellent” quality in results of testing on Tuesday.

These beaches – including Howth, Portmarnock, Skerries and Balbriggan – will be tested again on Tuesday 17 August.

People intending to swim at any beach in Ireland are advised to check the water quality in advance on the EPA website or by checking the notice board at the entrance to each beach.

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