A warning that Teignmouth's beach could be 'closed' because of sea ­pollution has been dismissed as 'scaremongering'.

The resort received some unwelcome national publicity in the Sunday Times, which carried a report how beaches around the UK could be shut down if they failed to meet tough new EU water quality standards.

Teignmouth was said to be one of 51 resorts that government analysis revealed were likely to fail, because they were blighted by raw sewage from storm overflows, or agricultural and other pollutants.

The newspaper said it could be a disaster for some of the country's most popular resorts. Unless beaches came up to standard by 2015, warning notices would be erected advising against swimming, and if there was still no improvement by 2020, it would lead to a permanent ban.

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