A surf therapy charity’s festive Santa Surf fundraiser had to be cancelled on Saturday after South West Water discharged sewage at South Fistral.

Thirty five children and 25 volunteers were due to take part in the annual festive fun to help raise money for the Wave Project’s Big Give Christmas Challenge.

The charity stated the event was cancelled for the “safety of everyone.”

A spokesperson for the Wave Project said: "We are deeply saddened by having to cancel Santa Surf event at Fistral Beach due to an overflow discharge from South West Water.

“With 35 enthusiastic surfers and 25 dedicated volunteers ready to participate, the conditions were set to be perfect with mild weather and ideal waves.

“This event was not only a chance for our community to come together but also an opportunity to raise awareness about the positive work The Wave Project does supporting local children and their families. We share in the disappointment of the children, and all involved.”

In a message to parents and carers The Wave Project said: “Unfortunately South West Water has discharged sewage from the outlet at South Fistral, and for the safety of everyone, we have decided to cancel.

“I understand this may be disappointing news, especially for the children who were looking forward to it.

“We have explored options as to whether we could reschedule the event.

“Unfortunately, the forecast for this weekend predicts 40-50mph northerly winds and eight to 10 foot large waves, which would make running a session cold, possibly unsafe, and less enjoyable than our previous sessions for everyone.

“As safety and enjoyment are our top priorities for our surfers we won’t be re-arranging the event this year.”

South West Water stated that it did have a spill on Friday afternoon of less than an hour as a result of heavy rainfall.

The water company said it issued an alert to advise of a potential impact to bathing water quality, which was removed in the early hours of Saturday morning following a full tidal cycle.

South West Water stated there may have been a bathing warning still in place as Surfers Against Sewage leave alerts on its app for 48 hours.