[Report 1972] / Medical Officer of Health, Benfleet U.D.C., Canvey Island U.D.C., Rayleigh U.D.C., Rochford R.D.C. (South East Essex).

Benfleet (England). Urban District Council.

Date:: 1972

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1972] / Medical Officer of Health, Benfleet U.D.C., Canvey Island U.D.C., Rayleigh U.D.C., Rochford R.D.C. (South East Essex). Source: Wellcome Collection.

78/92 (page 70)

$SECTION XVI - Arrangements for the burial on shore of persons who have died on board ship from Infectious Disease Nil. SHELLFISH A representative of the Port of London Health Authority started his investigations into the imsatisfactory state of the shellfish layings in the River Roach and the creeks known as Middleway, Paglesham Pool and Barling Hall Creek in ]March 1970 due to the overloading of Stambridge Sewage Disposal Works and the discharge of an unsatisfactory' effluent into the tidal waters of the various waterways mentioned. The Medical Officer of Health of the Port and City of London later wrote to all shellfish purveyors operating in the Rochford Rural District within the area of the Port of London Health Authority. In March, 1971 Dr. Swann advised me of his concern for the public health which could arise if the said shellfish layings were being contaminated by polluted river water. A programme of sampling and examination by the Fisheries Laboratory' of the Ministry' of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food at Burnham-on-Crouch was then put into operation and carried on through both the summer and autumn of 1971. In all, 45 samples were examined, taken from between 2. 4 and 5. 2 miles from Stambridge Mill. The Officer in Charge of the Laboratory expressed his view that the results justify an order being made restricting the sale of shellfish from the area concerned. In March 1972 Dr. Swann advised the owners of shellfish layings in the area of the River Roach and its tributaries, as follows - ''iMy pre\i.ous suspicions have been confirmed, in that the majority' of oyster samples examined proved to be of unsatisfactory' sanitary quality'. In view of this, I must stress how important it is that you should make arrangements so as to ensure that any' shellfish taken from layings in the River Roach are subjected to a process of cleaning or sterilisation prior to sale for human consumption. In April 1972 Dr. Swann advised me it was his intention to advise the Corporation of London as the Port Health Authority that an Order shoxild be drafted making the area of the River Roach, its tributaries and creeks a 'prescribed area', and asking for my comments and useful information. I replied that I was in the fullest agreement with this step. In September the Court of Common Council of the Corporation of London considered and accepted Dr. Swann's report in the matter. The Order, operative from 18th January 1973, v'as subsequently made on 14th December, 1972, as follows -$