0:00:03 > 0:00:06We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off when it comes to your
0:00:06 > 0:00:10holidays, and you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14A holiday's supposed to be a time of relaxing, not a time of more stress,
0:00:14 > 0:00:16and certainly not a time of stress whilst you're away.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18It's just annoying that you think, "What next?
0:00:18 > 0:00:21"What are they going to put a charge on next?"
0:00:21 > 0:00:24So whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26or indeed a catch in the small print,
0:00:26 > 0:00:31we'll find out why you were out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Your stories, your money, this is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Hello, and welcome once again to Rip Off Britain,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44bringing you a much-needed burst of holiday spirit from the island of
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Tenerife, where we're going to be looking into even more of the
0:00:47 > 0:00:51holiday travel stories that you've asked us to look into,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53especially on your behalf.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And while most holidays do of course go very smoothly,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59something that can throw a dreadful spanner in the works is if someone
0:00:59 > 0:01:01that you're travelling with falls ill.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Not only might you run into problems getting the treatment itself,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08but the consequences can rumble on and on even after you have returned home.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13And we've got some worrying examples of exactly those scenarios
0:01:13 > 0:01:16on their way. But the good news is that for each of the situations we'll be
0:01:16 > 0:01:19looking at, there are ways to ensure that no-one in your group,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22whether on two or four legs,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24picks up something unwanted while you're away.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Coming up...
0:01:27 > 0:01:29holidays scuppered by the Zika virus.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Why you might not get your money back if you have to cancel.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36They're actually encouraging people to make the wrong decision.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40They're encouraging people to go on holiday
0:01:40 > 0:01:43and put their unborn children at risk.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48And could the ease with which pets can now travel abroad be the reason
0:01:48 > 0:01:52why a disease that is deadly to dogs has suddenly appeared in the UK?
0:01:52 > 0:01:55They called us up actually to say that we're going to have to put
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Mishka to sleep. It was... She was on the critical list.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04On our holiday series last year,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08we reported on some of the really nasty illnesses that mosquitoes can
0:02:08 > 0:02:10carry and pass on to us when they bite us.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14And of course, in the months since then, that has really come into even
0:02:14 > 0:02:18sharper focus, with the continued spread of the Zika virus.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Now, as well as those heartbreaking images that we have seen of mothers
0:02:22 > 0:02:24whose babies have been affected by the disease,
0:02:24 > 0:02:29we've also seen plenty of headlines about destinations that could now
0:02:29 > 0:02:32also be affected. Trouble is that
0:02:32 > 0:02:36while the effects of contracting the virus whilst you are pregnant are
0:02:36 > 0:02:41not being disputed, what does not seem to have been settled and agreed
0:02:41 > 0:02:46by travel companies is how to handle those customers who feel that the
0:02:46 > 0:02:50presence of Zika leaves them in, well,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54a position where they have no option but to cancel their holidays.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It threatened to derail last year's Olympics.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00TV: It's created such a scare that some athletes have said they won't
0:03:00 > 0:03:03take part in this year's Olympic Games.
0:03:03 > 0:03:09But the mosquito-borne Zika virus has caused panic in communities right across the Americas.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Its rapid spread has led to those most at risk being warned against
0:03:12 > 0:03:16visiting popular destinations such as Florida.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19New advice for British holiday-makers travelling to Florida,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21after cases of Zika are found in the state.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24In February 2016,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28the World Health Organisation declared it a public health emergency.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31And to avoid the disease's worst consequences,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35tens of thousands of travel plans have been changed or abandoned.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Including those of Alice, a primary school teacher from Northampton.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46In March 2016,
0:03:46 > 0:03:51she and her partner, Jeff, booked a trip for several months later, in the summer,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54to visit Jeff's family in the tiny Caribbean island of Dominica.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57And it had particular importance as Jeff's mother,
0:03:57 > 0:04:02who I am afraid has now died, had recently had a stroke.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06I knew how important it was to Jeff to go and see his mum,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10so for both of us it was a really important trip for us to be taking.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18To save money, the couple made two separate bookings for flights,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22from the UK to Florida and then on to Dominica via Jamaica.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25It was a complicated but cost-effective method,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28involving two booking agents and three different airlines.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33They definitely weren't the most direct flights to get to Dominica,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37but just to save money we were willing to take our time getting there.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44The couple's flights to Florida with Air France cost them a total of
0:04:44 > 0:04:48almost ?1,000, on comparison website Bravofly.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53And they paid almost ?600 for flights onwards to Dominica with JetBlue
0:04:53 > 0:04:55and Liat Airlines,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58which they sourced via another comparison site - CheapOair.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00I was really excited to go.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02We've got the flights and that.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06I was like, yeah, I finally get to go back home again.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Get to see my mum.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13But just two months after they'd sorted their travel plans,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Alice discovered she was pregnant.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18We were really excited to find out we were pregnant, weren't we?
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Yeah. Nervous and scared, but happy, really happy.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28But of course, amidst their excitement was the thought of their
0:05:28 > 0:05:29upcoming holiday to Dominica.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34And when a friend, who was also pregnant, said she'd been warned
0:05:34 > 0:05:37against booking a holiday to that area because Zika was now prevalent,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Alice began to worry.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41TV: In the past few months,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44it has been spreading fast, to more than 20 countries in the Caribbean
0:05:44 > 0:05:46and Latin America.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50I'd heard news reports previously that it was in South America,
0:05:50 > 0:05:55so it wasn't until after my friend had reported it to me being in the
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Caribbean that I then went on to look it up.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Though the first case in humans of the mosquito-borne virus was
0:06:05 > 0:06:07discovered in 1952,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11it was only in 2013 that the disease was linked with causing brain damage
0:06:11 > 0:06:15in babies. And two years later, as it reached Brazil,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19the numbers of babies born with severe neurological damage increased.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25As a result, pregnant women were quickly classed as, "at most risk".
0:06:25 > 0:06:27So, when Alice visited her doctor,
0:06:27 > 0:06:32his advice on whether she should take the trip couldn't have been more clear.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36He said there's no way he would risk it,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40so it was really gutting, to be honest. It was...
0:06:40 > 0:06:45just devastating, because we'd been so excited about our trip.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50The doctor also advised that Jeff shouldn't make the trip either,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53because if he contracted the illness,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57on his return he could pass it on to Alice and his unborn child.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I wouldn't risk that for my kid or anyone else's.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06So, it was with this advice and a doctor's letter that Alice got in
0:07:06 > 0:07:10touch with Bravofly and CheapOair to cancel her flights.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13But things weren't going to be quite that simple.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Bravofly said, "No, you can't get anything back.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20"The policy states there's no cancellations."
0:07:22 > 0:07:25When Alice spoke to the other travel agent, CheapOair,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27it didn't sound like she'd get any money back from them either,
0:07:27 > 0:07:32as the official advice warning pregnant women not to travel to affected
0:07:32 > 0:07:36areas had already been issued when the couple booked their flights.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39And it didn't seem to make much difference when Alice tried pointing
0:07:39 > 0:07:43out that at the time she'd booked she hadn't even been pregnant.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48It's really frustrating that we can't get that money back, now that we need
0:07:48 > 0:07:50money more than we ever have.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Yeah. And we could be spending it on things for the baby.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Bravofly did offer to refund the couple ?300,
0:07:59 > 0:08:04which Alice was reluctant to agree, as it was almost ?700 short of what
0:08:04 > 0:08:07she'd paid. But feeling she had little choice,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09she did eventually accept it.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Even so, she feels very strongly that,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16considering the potential consequences of her taking the trip,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and the fact that she hadn't been pregnant when she booked the
0:08:19 > 0:08:21flights, she's been treated unfairly.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29I think that it's awful that the airlines and the travel agencies
0:08:29 > 0:08:31don't help people in our situation,
0:08:31 > 0:08:36because they're actually encouraging people to make the wrong decision.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40They're encouraging people to go on holiday
0:08:40 > 0:08:43and put their unborn children at risk.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Well, when we got in touch with both the booking sites with which Alice
0:08:47 > 0:08:49had dealt, Bravofly told us that,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52while it understands the couple's frustrations,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55the airlines could make no exception to their usual policies on this.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Not even for pregnant women.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01And while it appreciates that at the time of booking Alice
0:09:01 > 0:09:03hadn't known that she was pregnant,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06it says that at the point that she and Jeff booked, they were in a position to
0:09:06 > 0:09:10be aware of the Zika risk at their destination.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16However, it reiterated that a partial refund has been accepted by the couple.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18But there was better news from CheapOair.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Though it too said that the tickets bought were non-refundable,
0:09:22 > 0:09:23and it was up to the airline,
0:09:23 > 0:09:29in this case JetBlue and Liat, to approve any refund in line with its own policy,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33the company says it worked hard to get that refund.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34And as a result,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Alice and Jeff have now had all the money back for those particular
0:09:38 > 0:09:41tickets, with the cancellation fee waived.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43CheapOair says it's sorry there was a delay with this,
0:09:43 > 0:09:49but the airline refund process typically takes a minimum of around two months.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54And while getting even some of their money back does make a big
0:09:54 > 0:09:56difference to Alice and Jeff,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00their experience underlines just how important it is for any of us,
0:10:00 > 0:10:01pregnant or otherwise,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04to check official government advice on the country to which we are
0:10:04 > 0:10:06travelling before we book.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09And as we've suggested before,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12it's also worth making sure that any travel insurance you take out,
0:10:12 > 0:10:17comes into effect right away, and that it covers you for cancellations.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20But because Alice and Jeff didn't have that kind of protection,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24they've ended up almost ?700 worse off.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26And although that's far from ideal,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29they say they'd rather lose the money than go ahead with the trip.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Who would want to go somewhere where
0:10:34 > 0:10:37they're going to put their child at risk?
0:10:37 > 0:10:42It's just awful and I would never, ever risk that, to go abroad.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Yeah. I'd never risk anything for our child. No.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Now many travellers, myself included,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57love the fact that these days it's quick and easy to take our pets on
0:10:57 > 0:11:00holiday to Europe, rather than having to leave them behind,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03I don't like doing that. But the rules around this have changed since
0:11:03 > 0:11:08they first came in. And while normally we might consider any sort of relaxation
0:11:08 > 0:11:11of red tape to be a good thing, in this case it might not be,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15because some fear it could have opened the door to diseases that
0:11:15 > 0:11:18could prove deadly to dogs entering the country.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20And I'm afraid that's not just a notional risk.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23It's one of those diseases that's already here.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Now, Frodo Baggins may look like an ordinary pug,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32but in fact he was a trailblazer back in the year 2000,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35becoming the first dog to get a pet passport.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40He arrived on a ferry crossing from Calais shortly after midnight.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42That meant he was free to travel with his owner, of course,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46across Europe, without the need to be quarantined when he got back to
0:11:46 > 0:11:50the UK. And where Frodo went, others followed.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52For the first time in over 100 years,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56pet owners rejoiced as their beloved companions would no longer have to
0:11:56 > 0:12:00spend weeks in kennels whilst they swanned off on their holidays.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Well, there was certainly a moment for celebration in our household when,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06finally, my two Cavaliers, Gemma and Roxy,
0:12:06 > 0:12:07could come away with us to France.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Something that we still do to this very day.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17Similarly, Holly Wilson, from Warwickshire, and her family had embraced the
0:12:17 > 0:12:20opportunity to holiday with their pet pooches.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23In 2012, they took Olive and Badger on a month-long trip
0:12:23 > 0:12:25to the south of France.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Leaving the dogs behind for that long wasn't really an option,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33so some other friends had taken their dogs away, so we thought why not?
0:12:33 > 0:12:35It seemed quite easy, so we took them with us.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38The whole month was absolutely brilliant.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Before the family had left the UK,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45they'd made sure that both dogs were right up-to-date with tick and
0:12:45 > 0:12:46tapeworm treatments.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52The vet had warned us that there would be more ticks in France than
0:12:52 > 0:12:56there would be in the UK, keep an eye on them, which we did.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Towards the end of the holiday, about four days before we left,
0:12:59 > 0:13:04we found a tick on Olive, in our daily checks, and removed it with a
0:13:04 > 0:13:06tick remover and that was, kind of, the end of it.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08I wasn't particularly worried.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10But once that tick had been found,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Olive had to see a French vet for more anti-tick treatment before her
0:13:13 > 0:13:15return to the UK.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18And while she was then given the OK to travel,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20by the time the day for that came around,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Olive had started to lose her appetite and seemed just that little bit off colour.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28And on the journey home, she began to get much worse.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31She wouldn't drink anything, her gums, we actually checked,
0:13:31 > 0:13:36and they were bright white, which I knew was really not a good sign at all.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39When they finally arrived back on British soil,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42the family drove to an emergency veterinary surgeon.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44But despite her symptoms of weakness,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47pale-coloured gums and coffee-coloured urine,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49the vets were left confounded.
0:13:49 > 0:13:55We went straight there and had some blood tests and they tested her straightaway.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58To begin with, nobody really knew what was wrong with her.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Now, it was only by chance that a Polish vet working at the surgery
0:14:03 > 0:14:06recognised the symptoms from dogs that he'd treated back home.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09He suggested that Olive had contracted the tick-borne disease,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13which is called babesiosis, which is common in mainland Europe,
0:14:13 > 0:14:14but rare in the UK.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17And sadly in dogs, it can be fatal.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21So while it looked like the diagnosis had come in just in time for Olive,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24with the condition being so unusual,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28the vets struggled to find the medication needed to keep her alive.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32My husband and I started phoning specialist vets around the country and,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36luckily, we found one near Luton that had actually got the drug in.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Once she'd had the drugs, Olive made a rapid recovery.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45When we went back to pick her up in the vet, I've never had a greeting like it.
0:14:45 > 0:14:52She sort of jumped all over us and almost saying, "Thank you for making me feel better." So...
0:14:52 > 0:14:53it was amazing bringing her home.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59However, the family's relief was cut short when Holly found out that
0:14:59 > 0:15:02because Olive had contracted the disease outside the UK,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05her pet insurance wouldn't pay for any vet's bills,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08even though she'd been treated here in the UK,
0:15:08 > 0:15:13which meant that the family was left facing a bill of nearly ?2,500.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18I definitely don't think the insurance company treated us fairly at all.
0:15:18 > 0:15:24Apparently it was in the small print that any European cover was not covered.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29But while making sure you have the right insurance for a pet travelling
0:15:29 > 0:15:31abroad is crucial,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35what's perhaps more of a concern is that Olive got bitten and fell ill
0:15:35 > 0:15:41just months after the changes in anti-tick controls under the pet passport scheme.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46And cases like this only magnify fears from some that this relaxation
0:15:46 > 0:15:50of the rules has made it easier for diseases like babesiosis
0:15:50 > 0:15:54to travel undetected from mainland Europe into the UK.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Which, I'm afraid, does already seem to have become a reality.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Because in 2015,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03a whole clutch of cases were reported around Harlow in Essex.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Dog owners are being warned about an outbreak of a deadly disease that's
0:16:08 > 0:16:10entered the UK for the first time.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15Dean and Lisa's husky, Mishka, was one of the first to contract it.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20We first noticed there was something wrong with Mishka when she didn't eat,
0:16:20 > 0:16:25she was very tired, and when we asked if she wanted to go for a walk,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27she didn't want to move.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31The couple rushed Mishka to the vet, where the discovery of a tick,
0:16:31 > 0:16:37combined with the results of blood tests, led to a diagnosis of babesiosis.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43Now, even abroad, it's rare for dogs to be bitten by a tick carrying babesiosis.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48And until recently, it had never happened to a dog here in the UK.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52But Mishka is one of five dogs, all from the same part of Essex,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56to contract the disease from ticks without going abroad.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Vet Clive Swainsbury treated four of those dogs.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06And although Clive hasn't encountered any new cases since early 2016,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10as far as he's concerned, this is now a constant threat.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It only needs for one dog to have a tick on it, to be put in the car and
0:17:13 > 0:17:15taken down to the West Country,
0:17:15 > 0:17:22and the next thing you know you'll have the disease breaking out down in the West Country. Nobody could...
0:17:22 > 0:17:23give accurate
0:17:23 > 0:17:26figures as to how quickly it's going to move.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28But we're fairly certain it's going to move.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31And eventually affect the whole of the country.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34So we asked the Department for Environment,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Food Rural Affairs why the pet passport scheme doesn't include
0:17:38 > 0:17:42mandatory anti-tick treatment, as some people say it should,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44and whether in light of the outbreak in Essex,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47it has plans to consider reintroducing such safeguards?
0:17:49 > 0:17:53It told us that since the UK...
0:17:53 > 0:17:56in 2012, it's meant that...
0:18:01 > 0:18:04And it explained the decision was based on a 2011
0:18:04 > 0:18:07veterinary risk assessment that judged there was...
0:18:11 > 0:18:14DEFRA went on to say it's really important that owners are aware of
0:18:14 > 0:18:19the risks that ticks can cause dogs, and deal with them responsibly.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23It recommended speaking to a vet about routine preventative treatments.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30But Holly and Dean and Lisa are convinced that the only solution is
0:18:30 > 0:18:33for the pet passport rules to be tightened up again.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36And that it's made compulsory for dogs travelling to and from mainland
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Europe to get the treatment that can stop such diseases spreading.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45We've only been seeing these diseases since the law's been changed,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47so I definitely think it needs changing back.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50We need to stop any other diseases coming into the UK,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52because it's putting all our dogs at risk.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Still to come on Rip-Off Britain -
0:18:58 > 0:19:01could even Britain's cleanest beaches sometimes be awash with
0:19:01 > 0:19:04things that you might not want to swim in?
0:19:04 > 0:19:08So this overflow will end up being discharged just onto the beach down
0:19:08 > 0:19:11here, where you can see people paddling in the mouth of the river,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13where you can see the surfers surfing.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Now, I don't know how recently you've taken a dip at the seaside in
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Britain, but over the last two decades our coast has been transformed.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Water quality has improved to such a dramatic extent that almost 95% of
0:19:29 > 0:19:32our beaches have been given a clean bill of health.
0:19:32 > 0:19:38But some people say those impressive-sounding figures don't quite tell the full story,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42because there are some days when even the highest-scoring shores may
0:19:42 > 0:19:47fall foul of things you'd really rather not find yourself swimming in or with.
0:19:51 > 0:19:521988.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55# I should be so lucky in love. #
0:19:55 > 0:19:58The year when Kylie was queen of pop.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01# She wants to dance with me. #
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Rick Astley was strutting his stuff...
0:20:06 > 0:20:09..and Bros were melting teenage hearts.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14# Nothing at all. #
0:20:17 > 0:20:21It was also the year when a third of the bathing waters around the UK
0:20:21 > 0:20:23were deemed unsafe to swim in.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Fast forward to today,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31and while all those artists are still going strong,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34our beaches have gone from strength to strength too,
0:20:34 > 0:20:38almost 95% now have excellent water quality.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44One of the beaches that boasts excellent bathing quality is this one,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Godrevy Beach in Cornwall.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49But for local surfer Hugo Tagholm,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53there's more to these crystal-clear waters than meets the eye.
0:20:53 > 0:20:572km upstream, deep in the woods, is the Red River,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01which takes its name from the colour created by mineral deposits in the riverbed.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06It flows directly down onto Godrevy Beach, and out into the bay.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08As it does so, however,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12it occasionally picks up things along the way that give Hugo and
0:21:12 > 0:21:15other local surfers cause for concern.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20So this is one of two combined sewer overflows that discharges into the
0:21:20 > 0:21:25Red River. This discharged eight times last year in the bathing season,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and, actually, it puts sewage into the stream, the Red River,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32that runs down to one of Cornwall's best beaches.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Combined sewer overflows like this one, CSOs, for short,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40are tunnels used when the local sewerage system overflows,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43for example when there's heavy rain.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45To avoid sewage backing up into our homes,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49these systems divert it elsewhere, and in this case,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52that means out to sea, and onto the beach.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55So there are visible signs on the grille here.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59We've got toilet paper and cotton bud sticks.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01They are what we call sewage-related debris.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Sometimes we see them in the bushes up and down the river here,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06next to the mouth of the CSO,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10and they show that sewage has passed through this grille
0:22:10 > 0:22:14relatively recently, when people are using the beach just 2km downstream.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Hugo heads a charity called Surfers Against Sewage,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22which is campaigning for tighter limits to be placed on the use of
0:22:22 > 0:22:26these CSOs, particularly around beaches.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30So the combined sewer overflows will end up being discharged just onto
0:22:30 > 0:22:33the beach down here, where you can see people paddling in the mouth of
0:22:33 > 0:22:35the river, where you can see the surfers surfing.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Any pollution in the waters here doesn't just come from the CSOs
0:22:40 > 0:22:45discharging. In 2015, after tests found that rainwater run-off from
0:22:45 > 0:22:49roads, rooftops and farmyards could also contribute,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53the Environment Agency concluded that even if CSOs weren't used,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56some pollution would still end up in the bathing water.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59But for Hugo and the other surfers in the group,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02it's CSOs that are the biggest problem.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05They're worried that anyone swimming or surfing in the water could be at
0:23:05 > 0:23:12risk of getting sick from the raw, untreated sewage that several times a year flows onto the beaches.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17That human sewage can carry with it pathogens and bacteria that can make
0:23:17 > 0:23:20people very sick if they come into contact with it.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23They can get ear, eye, nose, throat infections, and much worse.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Hugo and his colleagues claim they often suffer from tummy upsets and
0:23:29 > 0:23:33sickness, which they are convinced are caused by inadvertently
0:23:33 > 0:23:35swallowing raw sewage while swimming in the area.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42Using CSOs to cope with sewage overflow isn't confined to Cornwall.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46All around the UK, the same method is used by water companies to
0:23:46 > 0:23:51disperse sewage when the main systems get full, and according to Hugo's data,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54collected direct from water companies,
0:23:54 > 0:23:59there were 926 of these overflow events in the 2015 bathing season in
0:23:59 > 0:24:04England alone. Campaigners say that's simply too much, and for Hugo
0:24:04 > 0:24:08it's even more of a worry when this happens on beaches deemed to have
0:24:08 > 0:24:10excellent water quality, like Godrevy.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14His message to those responsible for those beaches is clear.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18They need to make sure that their users, the visitors to that beach,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21can avoid that sewage pollution as and when it happens.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28The official advice is to avoid swimming in the water for the
0:24:28 > 0:24:3148 hours after a CSO has been discharged.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Of course, knowing when that might have been,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36especially if you're a visitor to the area, can be tricky.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Hugo believes that by the time you spot any wet wipes or other
0:24:40 > 0:24:46sewage-related debris, chances are you may have already been swimming in, or near the sewage.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50So Surfers Against Sewage has introduced an app to help bathers know when
0:24:50 > 0:24:54an overflow has occurred, and therefore which waters could be affected.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Hugo and his colleagues are working with water companies to encourage
0:25:01 > 0:25:05them to share details of any sewage discharge, so that the information
0:25:05 > 0:25:08can be fed into the app, which is available to download for free.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15The Safer Sea Service provides real-time sewage-alert information
0:25:15 > 0:25:18at over 330 locations.
0:25:18 > 0:25:24We've got about 20,000 subscribers who receive real-time push messages
0:25:24 > 0:25:27for their favourite beaches, so they know if there is a sewage discharge,
0:25:27 > 0:25:32and they can avoid potentially using that beach on that day.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Well, when we contacted Water UK,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38which represents all the major water providers across the country,
0:25:38 > 0:25:43it told us that CSOs act as a vital and legal relief valve,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47allowing excess flows of highly diluted water, which passes through screens
0:25:47 > 0:25:51to remove plastic and rags, to be released into rivers and the sea...
0:25:56 > 0:25:57It stressed...
0:26:02 > 0:26:05..adding that the only real alternative to CSOs would be expensive and
0:26:05 > 0:26:10disruptive work to fully separate surface water from the sewerage network,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14which would not only cost billions of pounds but in the short-term...
0:26:18 > 0:26:19And South West Water,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23which is responsible for those beautiful Cornish beaches we filmed at,
0:26:23 > 0:26:30told us that since it was established in 1989, it has invested over ?2.3 billion
0:26:30 > 0:26:33to protect and improve the region's bathing waters...
0:26:37 > 0:26:42And it's also pioneered a voluntary information service called Beach Live,
0:26:42 > 0:26:49that provides free public alerts when storm water overflows may affect bathing water quality.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52It went on to say that the water at these beaches was classified as
0:26:52 > 0:26:57excellent under the tough new standards introduced in 2015
0:26:57 > 0:27:02and pointed out that all this is a far cry from the days when raw sewage was routinely
0:27:02 > 0:27:06discharged from residents' homes directly into the sea.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11And while he recognises what progress has been made,
0:27:11 > 0:27:18Hugo looks forward to the day when no sewage at all goes anywhere near our cleanest beaches.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19We all need to enjoy our coastline.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23We want to encourage people to get onto the beach, to get into the water,
0:27:23 > 0:27:27to experience a really clean and healthy and happy time at the seaside,
0:27:27 > 0:27:31and so this is about just protecting people where they need to be protected.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Well, I think it's clear that whether you take your holiday abroad,
0:27:41 > 0:27:46or in the UK, it's very easy to pick up an illness that proves to be a very unwelcome souvenir
0:27:46 > 0:27:48of your particular trip.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50But I suppose, more positively, what we all hope,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53is that you've also be able to pick up some really useful
0:27:53 > 0:27:57tips on how to reduce the chance of falling foul of the particular
0:27:57 > 0:28:01conditions and situations that we've talked about today, in the first place.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04And at this point I might weep because you know I'm a really,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08really keen dog owner myself and the story about those poor animals
0:28:08 > 0:28:12infected with that truly nasty disease was a real wake-up call for me,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15especially as we do take them abroad quite a bit when we go on holiday.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20So, at least now I'll know to actually keep an extra eye open and have them checked,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24just in case any of those ticks might catch up with them and
0:28:24 > 0:28:25cause them a bit of a problem.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29We hope that wherever you are or where you go, with your pets or without,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31you have a happy and healthy holiday,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34and we'll see you again very soon, to investigate more of your stories,
0:28:34 > 0:28:36so do, please, keep them coming.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39For now, though, from all of us, goodbye.
0:28:39 > 0:28:40Bye. Bye.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Subtitles by Ericsson
0:29:10 > 0:29:12SOMBRE PIANO MUSIC