Burnham-on-Sea sand art protests UK sewage crisis

Campaign group 38 Degrees has commissioned a large-scale sand drawing at Burnham-on-Sea to protest the UK sewage crisis. The artwork, created by Sand In Your Eye, depicts the face of Prime Minister Andy Burnham alongside the message: “Burnham-on-Sewage?! Time to turn the tide, Andy.”

The campaign chose the Somerset location due to its shared name with the Prime Minister. The stunt aims to draw attention to sewage discharges into rivers and seas, particularly ahead of a busy bank holiday weekend. 38 Degrees reported that over 144,000 people have signed a petition demanding that water companies be returned to public ownership.

According to the group, polling conducted at the start of the Prime Minister's term indicated that 57% of respondents favor public ownership with profits reinvested into infrastructure, while only 8% support maintaining the current private system. Campaign Director Veronica Hawking stated that the public is “furious” regarding rising bills and sewage pollution while companies distribute profits to shareholders.