Miss England has revealed she’s been forced to halt training for the Miss World championships after raw sewage was dumped in the sea near her Cornish hometown.

Milla Magee, 24, who is also a lifeguard and keen surfer, had been preparing off the coast of Newquay ahead of flying to India on Wednesday to represent England at the international pageant.

But now, the beauty queen says she’s unable to keep up her fitness regime due to repeated sewage spills in the water – branding the situation ‘a public health crisis’.

The shocking reality has pushed the environmental campaigner to speak out against pollution on Britain’s beaches, saying it’s time for urgent action.

‘As Miss England, a surfer, and founder of the GoFarwithCPR campaign, I’ve seen first-hand how powerful the ocean can be – not just for fitness, but for mental health and community,’ Ms Magee said.

‘That’s why it’s devastating to see Cornwall’s waters polluted with sewage.

‘Lately, many of us have had to stay out of the sea because it’s simply not safe, and that’s more than just a missed surf – it’s a public health crisis.

Milla Magee, 24, who is also a lifeguard and keen surfer, had been preparing off the coast of Newquay ahead of flying to India on Wednesday to represent England at the international pageant

But now, the beauty queen says she’s unable to keep up her fitness regime due to repeated sewage spills in the water – branding the situation ‘a public health crisis’

The shocking reality has pushed the environmental campaigner to speak out against pollution on Britain’s beaches, saying it’s time for urgent action

‘As we bid farewell to winter, the days start getting longer, the sun is shining, we want to enjoy our beaches. However, this rise in pollution just simply isn’t safe.’

The Cornish campaigner has joined forces with Surfers Against Sewage – a UK charity calling for an end to sewage discharges in bathing waters by 2030.

Determined to make a difference, Ms Magee is now urging the public to step up and protect the coastlines.

‘We need urgent action to protect our coastlines and keep the ocean a place of healing, not harm,’ she said.

‘For the people who don’t live by the sea and understand these issues, for the children who want to enjoy nature’s playground, and for the locals who simply just want to enjoy their home.

‘Get involved with organisations like Surfers Against Sewage or simple beach cleans, is such a small act for an even bigger effect.’

Determined to make a difference, Ms Magee is now urging the public to step up and protect the coastlines

The Cornish campaigner has joined forces with Surfers Against Sewage – a UK charity calling for an end to sewage discharges in bathing waters by 2030

Last year, raw sewage was dumped into England’s waters for more than 3.6 million hours – up from 1.75 million in 2022 and 2.5 million in 2021

While the Environment Agency says the number of individual spills has decreased, the average duration of each incident has gone up

The 24-year-old’s warning comes as new figures reveal just how widespread the problem has become.

Last year, raw sewage was dumped into England’s waters for more than 3.6 million hours – up from 1.75 million in 2022 and 2.5 million in 2021.

The worst-hit areas included Salcombe and Chittlehamholt in Devon and Duloe in Cornwall – where sewage spills were occurring nearly every single day.

The north and south-west of England have also been affected, with waterways like the Croal and Irwell rivers in Greater Manchester, and the Avon in Bristol, recording high pollution levels.

While the Environment Agency says the number of individual spills has decreased, the average duration of each incident has gone up.

Just 16 per cent of England’s surface waters were rated as having ‘good’ ecological status in 2023, including 14 per cent of rivers and lakes and just 45 per cent of coastal waters.

In stark contrast, 66 per cent of Scotland’s waters were classed as ‘good’, with Wales and Northern Ireland also outperforming England.

Southern Water – long criticised over its environmental record – revealed plans in October to raise bills more than any other UK water company over the next five years.

In 2019, three employees were convicted of blocking Environment Agency investigators during a probe into sewage discharges – though none were fined.

Two years later, the company was hit with a record-breaking £90 million fine after admitting to thousands of illegal discharges over a five-year period.