‘We can’t let this drop’ - Surfers organise protest over water pollution at South Shields’ Littlehaven Beach
More than 100 protesters have gathered to show their anger over water pollution at Littlehaven Beach.
Protesters have joined together at Littlehaven Beach to call for changes to be made to reduce water pollution in South Tyneside.
In November 2025, the South Shields beach was given a ‘Poor’ inspection grade by the Environment Agency.
The protest on Saturday, May 2, was organised by South Shields Surf CIC who have previously hit out at Northumbrian Water for allowing sewage to pour into the borough’s waters.
A call for change
During the event, speakers called on politicians to enact change against water companies and hold them to account over polluting the country’s waters.
Speaking after Saturday morning’s protest, Nick Jones, director at South Shields Surf CIC, has urged members of the public to find out what candidates standing in the local election, on May 7, will do about water pollution in South Tyneside.
He said: “We feel heartened that we aren’t the only cross ones but this is what we need, more people involved, more people recording data and more people taking a stand to keep this issue in the public eye.
“This is about sharing information and standing in solidarity so that people in positions of power can see how important this issue is to us.
“I’ve had local election candidates come up to me afterwards and tell me that they had no idea what the water quality here is actually like so it is vital that people come to things like this.
“People need to talk to their candidates ahead of next week’s election to find out how they are going to hold the water companies, Ofwat and the Environment Agency to account.
“South Tyneside Council needs to move itself into an uncomfortable position where they are fighting these organisations instead of working with them.
”We can’t let this issue drop and if it is going to change, it needs people to keep pushing and as Gabe [from Surfers Against Sewage] put it: ‘be like a mosquito buzzing in the ear of everyone involved’.
Surfers Against Sewage
South Shields Surf CIC organised the protest at Littlehaven Beach with the help of Surfers Against Sewage, a national charity that campaigns to protect the seas from pollution.
You can find out more about their work at: https://www.sas.org.uk/.