Nearly eight in 10 British dog owners who visit UK beaches have been put off letting their pet in the sea by raw sewage-dumping, a poll suggests.

Some one in three (37%) say the prospect of spills means they will not allow their canine companion to swim at all, according to a Savanta survey commissioned by the Liberal Democrats.

Another 41% say the crisis makes them less likely to let their pets in the water, despite visiting beaches either often or sometimes in the summer months.

Further data shows that around seven in 10 (74%) Britons who usually swim in the sea say that they now will not or are less likely to because of potential pollution discharged by water companies.

Savanta interviewed 2,078 UK adults aged 18 or over online on July 29 and weighted data to be representative of Britain by age, sex, region, and social grade in order to reach the results.

The Lib Dems, who made inroads in southern England at the general election after putting water quality at the centre of its policy agenda, described the data as a “national scandal”.

They are calling for an immediate ban on bonuses for water company bosses and a new industry regulator with greater powers.

The party’s MP for Winchester and qualified vet Danny Chambers said: “The new Government must save our dogs from the sewage crisis.

“Reports from across the country of dogs becoming sick after swimming in the sea are truly shocking, and frankly this is a national scandal.”

He said the British public “have had enough” after the former Conservative government “watched on idly as this environmental catastrophe rumbled on.”Environment Secretary Steve Reed promised the Government’s proposed Water Bill will put offending firms under special measures and introduce further legislation reverse damage to Britain’s waterways.

“The new Government will never look the other way while water companies pump record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas,” the minister said.

“We are putting water companies under tough special measures. As an immediate step, our Water (Special Measures) Bill will strengthen regulation to reverse the tide on the unacceptable destruction of our waterways, ensuring water companies deliver for customers and the environment and attract private-sector investment to upgrade our crumbling infrastructure.”

“Change will take time. The Government will outline further legislation to fundamentally transform our water industry and restore our rivers, lakes and seas to good health.”