A COMPANY boss today swapped the boardroom for a North Yorkshire beach - as he and members of a leading environmental group went for a bracing North Sea dip.

John Napier, chairman of Yorkshire Water, and members of pressure group the Sons Of Neptune, were testing out water quality at Scarborough after the opening of the company's £30m sewage works.

The works are part of its £120 million Coastcare project, which removes more than 99.9 per cent of harmful bacteria from waste water before it is pumped out to sea.

Before diving in, Mr Napier said: "It's an interesting time of year to test our investment, but it is appropriate as it coincides with the opening of the water treatment works."

Gusts of 60 to 65mph swept York and North Yorkshire today, along with rain.

Updated: 11:17 Friday, February 01, 2002