CONCERNS have been raised that the source of water pollution at North Berwick’s West Beach is yet to be identified.

Warnings were issued by East Lothian Council last month after test results showed pollution “at an elevated level” in the water there.

Initial testing was carried out by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on August 1 and people were advised to avoid swimming or bathing at the beach.

The levels changed days later, with the warnings lifted, only for tests on August 15 to show the pollution had returned. The council issued a second warning, with NHS Lothian also urging people to avoid the beach. That warning has since been lifted.

Members of North Berwick Community Council expressed concerns that the source was yet to be found.

Bill Macnair, vice-chairman, said: “We get a lot of bathers in North Berwick and there were a lot of people in the town at the time.”

Councillor Jim Goodfellow told a meeting of the community council last Tuesday: “SEPA are still investigating what caused the pollution.”

Signs were displayed at the beach, but Ian Watson, NBCC member, asked if more could have been done and said: “We used to have a flag system, red flags were put out if there was something wrong – could we not go back to that?

“We have flag poles so it would be quite easy to do.”

This year’s North Berwick Raft Race was postponed as a result of the pollution and will be held this Saturday.