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The death of Heather Preen: how an eight-year-old lost her life amid the UK sewage crisis
Published: February 17, 2026 · The Guardian
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In 1999, Heather Preen contracted E coli on the beach. Two weeks later she died. Now, as a new Channel 4 show dramatises the scandal, her mother, Julie Maughan, explains why she is still looking for someone to take responsibility