Utility giant Southern Water has hit back over claims about the declining quality of the Isle of Wight's bathing water.

Research, published by marketing agency Reboot, showed a 179.14 per cent increase in E.coli count, between 2017 to 2019, and 2020 to 2022.

During the same period there was also a 132.69 per cent rise of IE - a bacteria that lives in the intestinal tracts of humans, the agency said.

Data from the government, the Met Office and the Rivers Trust was looked at to create a 'degradation score'.

This was then used to rank regions, with the Isle of Wight coming seventh on the list of local authorities with the biggest decline in water quality.

In a statement, Southern Water told the County Press: “The so-called degradation score is not a measure of bathing water quality – it makes a comparison between some e coli scores before the pandemic and scores after.

"Every single beach on the Island has been tested and monitored by the Environment agency and all 15 designated bathing waters are rated ‘Excellent’."

The news follows a series of sewage discharges off the Isle of Wight in recent months.

Protests have also been held, with the Stop the Sewage Isle of Wight Facebook group highlighting regular outflows of waste.

The utlity firm said it has made "huge investment" in infrastructure to support water quality, including the construction of a storm tunnel under Arthurs Hill in Shanklin.

It also said the Island has been included in its pathfinder projects, which will use nature-based solutions "to cut" releases.