19 per cent of kids don’t paddle in sea

Muggy, rainy, windy or even hot days splashing in the murky waters of Britain’s shoreline is something most youngsters in the South West take for granted.

Whether paddling in piddle, muck from Hinkley Point or the charred remains of Weston’s Pier, beaches, sand and sea is a staple life activity for many children in the region.

So in the realm of parenting statistics, the revelation that 19 per cent of children between the ages of 8 and 15 have never paddled in the sea is a real shocker.

The poll of 1,399 children by Sunshine.co.uk, also found that 32 per cent had never built a sandcastle on a beach and 82 per cent had never looked inside of rock pools.