When I think of my childhood on the Island, there is one image that comes to mind: the sea.

Whether it was ice cream and a swim on Gurnard beach after school or long sunny days at Compton in the summer holidays, a childhood on the Isle of Wight is a childhood in the water.

Now that I’m older and a parent myself (albeit to a three month old), I’ve been envisaging the same for me and my son.

He’s had his first paddle at Appley and we made it to Compton bright and early for breakfast last weekend.

I have to admit, though, it all feels a little less carefree than when I was a kid, for one main reason. Sewage.

At the time of writing, the Surfers Against Sewage map warns against swimming at Cowes, Gurnard and Yaverland.

Three main tourist destinations (and on a personal note, one of my favourite childhood spots).

Sandown wasn’t awarded a prestigious Blue Flag due to E. coli being present in the water.

It’s not just the Island. According to the Environment Agency, discharges of untreated sewage by water companies doubled from 1.8 million hours in 2022 to a record 3.6 million in 2023.

Too much rainfall has put pressure on their water tanks and the companies are then allowed to pump it into the sea.

It’s a problem across the country, but one as Islanders that we should take very seriously indeed.

As an area that thrives on tourism, we should be protecting one of our main tourist attractions.

If families question whether they will be safe to enjoy a nice swim in the sea during their visit, they are far more likely to look elsewhere (the north coast of Devon, for instance, which currently only has one “no go” zone on the map).

And of course, Isle of Wight families will also suffer if swimming in the sea continues to be risky.

A day at the beach is a free, fun-filled activity at a time when the cost of everything is rising.

Those who may not be able to afford some of the wonderful (but pricier) attractions we have on our doorstep can pack up for the day for the price of a couple of sandwiches and a few miles worth of petrol.

There’s little we can do other than put pressure on those who can take action.

Water companies can currently pump sewage into the sea for good reason — to prevent homes from being flooded — but as a country, we need to be better prepared for an increasing amount of rain.

Bigger, better water tanks, larger fines for those responsible for unnecessary sewage (Ofwat, the regulator, has found cases where sewage was being released prematurely) and an improvement in overall infrastructure.

As we welcome two new Island MPs and a new government, we should ensure a curb in sewage pumping is high on the agenda to protect the most simple Island pleasure: a care-free dip at one of our stunning beaches.