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The Irish Sun
07-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Britain's ‘worst' beaches to visit this summer with surprising golden-sand hotspot top of the list
THE UK's "worst" beaches to visit this summer have been revealed with one surprising hotspot ranking top of the list. As Brits make the most of the warming weather, the Environment Agency has put together a list of the 19 most filthy 4 The 19 filthiest beaches have been revealed using water quality data Credit: Alamy 4 East Cliff beach in Lyme Regis makes a surprising appearance on the list Credit: Alamy These were measured using the agency's It was revealed that the number of " Brown Flags are a "poor" rating by the EA and are usually caused by the amount of sewage in the water. Cullercoats, a sandy beach in Tyne and Wear, received a poor rating from the EA despite having recently gained a glowing review by a travel magazine. Read more on News Tourists heading to Littlehaven, South Shields have also received a similar warning, telling them to avoid the water where possible. The news comes ahead of what could be a scorching summer, when families will flock to their local beach for children to play in the sea. The worst counties for these beaches are Somerset and Kent, so families may want to stay wary of where they plan a seaside trip. Water companies are permitted to occasionally discharge excess wastewater into the sea during heavy rainfall. Most read in The Sun However, according to industry regulator Ofwat, some firms have been "routinely releasing sewage" outside these times. This exercise - known as dry spilling - has caused a spike in water toxicity and closure of dozens of beaches. Thousands flock to UK beaches and parks to bask in 26C highs ahead of bank holiday weekend scorcher But those in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall also scored well when it came to cleanliness although each of the counties is also home to a Brown Flag beach. Lincolnshire and Hampshire also scored well for water cleanliness. analysed the data from the Environment Agency. England's filthiest beaches, revealed: MANY popular beaches appeared on the Brown Flag list. 1 Porthluney, Cornwall 2 Coastguards Beach, Devon 3 Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach, Dorset 4 Southsea East, Hampshire 5 Deal Castle, Kent 6 Dymchurch, Kent 7 Littlestone, Kent 8 Blackpool North, Lancashire 9 St Annes North, Lancashire 10 Heacham, Norfolk 11 Weston Main, Weston Super Mare Sand Bay and Weston Super Mare Uphill Slipway, Somerset 12 Dunster Beach, Somerset 13 Blue Anchor West, Somerset 14 Bognor Regis, Sussex 15 Worthing Beach House, Sussex 16 Tynemouth Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear 17 Littlehaven Beach, Tyne and Wear 18 Scarborough South Bay, North Yorkshire 19 Bridlington South Beach, East Riding of Yorkshire Spokesperson Robbie Lane told the "We had hoped that we'd be handing out fewer Brown Flags this year - but the numbers have surged. "Do your research this summer and you'll be saying 'wish you were here' rather than 'wish I'd worn a hazmat suit'." Three stretches of Blackpool North was the worst offender, returning 4.85/10 for overall water cleanliness, making in In June 2023, Blackpool North - which sits in front of Blackpool Tower - was It was among four Blackpool beaches which advised people not to swim All of Blackpool's beaches were found to have a 10/10 pollution risk by DEFRA. 4 Porthluney, Cornwall is an unlikely feature on the list Credit: Alamy 4 The beach in Weston Super Mare, Somerset also received a poor rating Credit: Alamy
Daily Mirror
05-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
UK's filthiest beaches win Brown Flag awards in warning to daytrippers
Among the offending destinations are Bognor Regis, Aldwick and Blackpool North, which were all rated 'poor' by the Environment Agency due to summer water quality The grossest, filthiest, most sewage-ridden beaches in the country have been named and shamed. In an effort to highlight England's beaches that you might want to avoid, Holiday Park Guru has unveiled its second annual Brown Flag Awards. Using official Environment Agency water quality data to select the 'winners', the firm has sent out tasteful brown flags to the worst beaches, so they can warn swimmers of the nastiness lurking just beneath the surface. Among the offending destinations are Bognor Regis, Aldwick and Blackpool North, which were all rated 'poor' by the Environment Agency due to summer water quality. Brown Flag beaches are those rated 'poor' for water quality by the Environment Agency. This is because of their levels of bacteria such as e-coli from sewage and other waste. Some of the worst water cleanliness readings were found at beaches at popular resorts including Blackpool, Weston Super Mare and Bognor Regis. This doesn't necessarily mean the whole beach is 'poor' for bathing - it is sometimes just one section of beach. The number of brown flag beaches leapt up from 13 in 2024 to 19 in 2025. Campaigner and swimmer Robbie Lane from Holiday Park Guru said: "We had hoped that we'd be handing out fewer Brown Flags this year – but things have gone down the pan. Do your research this summer and you'll be saying 'wish you were here' rather than 'wish I'd worn a hazmat suit'." The water quality readings are based on readings taken in the warmer months, when people are most likely to be taking a dip. In addition, the sea is less likely to be clean in winter, as it rains more which leads to more unpleasant stuff overflowing into rivers and into the sea. Once again, Lancashire is rock bottom of the county league table with none of its ten designated bathing spots achieving the Environment Agency's coveted three-star 'excellent' rating for cleanliness. Somerset, Cumbria, Merseyside and Kent are all in the bottom half of the league table. On the flip side of things, Northumberland ranks top, with more than 90% of its beaches being three-star stunners that achieve the highest score possible for water cleanliness. Dorset, Devon and Cornwall are also highly rated. The Isle of Wight, County Durham, Lincolnshire and Suffolk deserve praise, with all of their designated bathing areas gaining one of the top two ratings ('good' or 'excellent'). Brown Flag Award winners (In alphabetical order, with new entrants flagged 'poocomers') Porthluney in Cornwall Coastguards Beach, Erme Estuary in Devon (Poocomer for 2025) Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach in Dorset (Poocomer for 2025) Southsea East in Hampshire Deal Castle in Kent (Poocomer for 2025) Dymchurch in Kent (Poocomer for 2025) Littlestone in Kent Blackpool North in Lancashire St Annes North in Lancashire Heacham in Norfolk Weston Main, Weston Super Mare Sand Bay and Weston Super Mare Uphill Slipway in Somerset Dunster Beach in Somerset Blue Anchor West in Somerset (Poocomer for 2025) Bognor Regis, Aldwick in Sussex Worthing Beach House in Sussex (Poocomer for 2025) Tynemouth Cullercoats in Tyne and Wear Littlehaven Beach in Tyne and Wear (Poocomer for 2025) Scarborough South Bay in North Yorkshire Bridlington South Beach in East Riding of Yorkshire
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Daily Mail
The UK's 'worst' beaches revealed - with waters so gross swimmers will 'wish they'd worn a hazmat suit'
The UK's 'worst' beaches have been revealed, as the bacteria from gushing sewage leads swimmers to say 'I wish I'd worn a hazmat suit'. Brown Flag awards were announced this week in England which sees the iconic sites rated by water cleanliness. Among the offending destinations are Bognor Regis, Aldwick and Blackpool North - all rated 'poor' by the Environment Agency due to summer water quality. A further look at the 19 grubby 'winners' for 2025 indicates a poor showing for Lancashire, which came bottom of the league table as none of its beaches were graded 'excellent' for water cleanliness. Meanwhile, Northumberland, Dorset and Devon's beaches were rated 'excellent' for water cleanliness. The number of brown flag beaches - those rated 'poor' due to bacteria such as e-coli from sewage and other waste - leapt up from 13 in 2024 to 19 in 2025. Campaigner and swimmer Robbie Lane from Holiday Park Guru said: 'We had hoped that we'd be handing out fewer Brown Flags this year – but things have gone down the pan. 'Do your research this summer and you'll be saying "wish you were here" rather than "wish I'd worn a hazmat suit".' So, does your local beach make the infamous list? Brown Flag Awards Winners 2025 In alphabetical order by county: Porthluney in Cornwall Coastguards Beach, Erme Estuary in Devon (Newcomer for 2025) Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach in Dorset (Newcomer for 2025) Southsea East in Hampshire Deal Castle in Kent (Newcomer for 2025) Dymchurch in Kent (Newcomer for 2025) Littlestone in Kent Blackpool North in Lancashire St Annes North in Lancashire Heacham in Norfolk Weston Main, Weston Super Mare Sand Bay and Weston Super Mare Uphill Slipway in Somerset Dunster Beach in Somerset Blue Anchor West in Somerset (Newcomer for 2025) Bognor Regis, Aldwick in Sussex Worthing Beach House in Sussex (Newcomer for 2025) Tynemouth Cullercoats in Tyne and Wear Littlehaven Beach in Tyne and Wear (Newcomer for 2025) Scarborough South Bay in North Yorkshire Bridlington South Beach in East Riding of Yorkshire 'Newcomers' refer to either newly designated bathing spots with a poor rating or existing bathing spots that have been downgraded. Large resorts have several beaches and testing points meaning it may just be one section of the beach that is designated 'poor'. Holiday Park Guru used Environment Agency data based on around 7000 samples at more than 400 bathing waters, 'calculated annually based on samples from the previous four years'. Rivers and lakes are excluded from the sample. Water quality readings look for intestinal enterococci and escherichia coli (e-coli) levels to determine whether there is 'faecal matter' in the water. According to the Environment Agency, this comes from 'sewage, agricultural livestock, wildlife, birds and road drainage'. Each resort receives a score of either three stars (excellent), two stars (good), one star (sufficient) or zero stars (poor). Currently, 67 per cent of England's monitored resorts score a three star rating whilst five per cent score zero stars. The latter is an increase on last year. Water quality readings are only taken from May 15 - September 30. During the winter, water quality tends to be lower along England's coastline as higher rainfall causes more sewage and waste water to overflow into the sea and rivers.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sussex beaches awarded 'brown flags' for dirty water
Two Sussex beaches have been awarded 'brown flag awards' due to poor water quality. Aldwick beach in Bognor and a section of Worthing beach, behind Splashpoint Leisure Centre, were given a poor water quality rating by the Environment Agency (EA) last year. UK travel site Holiday Park Guru is now offering the two beaches, as well as the 17 others designated as having the poorest water quality, a free brown flag with a poo emoji to display. The beaches are rated poor due to bacteria such as e-coli from sewage and other waste being detected in water samples. A spokesman for Holiday Park Guru said: 'Worthing is classed as a 'newcomer' (or should that be 'poocomer'?) because it has won a brown flag award for the first time. 'An area known by the Environment Agency as 'Worthing Beach House' towards the east of the beach was added to the EA's list of designated bathing spots for 2024 and has been given a 'poor' rating. 'Two other water quality testing locations known as 'Worthing' and 'Goring Beach' both scored one star and so narrowly missed out on winning brown flag awards. The section of beach in Worthing (Image: Google) Campaigner and sea-swimmer Robbie Lane for Holiday Park Guru said: 'We had hoped that we'd be handing out fewer brown flags this year – but things have gone down the pan. 'For Sussex, the bad news is that it's picked up two brown flag awards, whereas last year it won just one. 'The good news is that almost half of the beaches in Sussex are rated as 'excellent' for their water quality in summer. 'Do your research this summer and you'll be saying 'wish you were here' rather than 'wish I'd worn a hazmat suit'.' A spokesman for Worthing Borough Council said: 'We are disappointed by last year's water quality classifications. 'Last year was the first time the Environment Agency gathered water quality data at Beach House and Goring Beach, which was a result of the fantastic efforts by residents to help obtain the two new bathing designations needed to test the water at these locations. Aldwick beach in Bognor (Image: Jeff Gogarty/Wikimedia Commons) 'The poor classification at Beach House has validated the much-needed designation and subsequent testing, but we don't believe that the seawater at Beach House has dramatically worsened in recent years. 'The additional data, despite being disappointing, is helping identify and fix sources of pollution that will improve seawater quality along our coastline. "One source of pollution at Beach House has already been identified and halted as a result of the collaboration between the Environment Agency, Southern Water and council teams. 'As a result of last year's testing, we now know just how much work needs to be done at Beach House and across our coastline to get Worthing's seawater to a good standard. 'The 2006 Bathing Water Directive means that any 'poor' rated bathing waters are obliged to display a 'do not swim' warning, which helps residents and visitors make informed decisions about swimming in the area. The beach will remain open and accessible as normal. One of the brown flags (Image: Holiday Park Guru) 'We are working with Southern Water, which has developed and are actioning improvement plans in each catchment area, and with the Environment Agency to continue testing water quality and address potential sources of pollution. "We remain committed to improving coastal water quality and ensuring everyone can enjoy cleaner seas along our coastline.' A spokeswoman for Arun District Council said: 'Whilst the 'poor' classification for Bognor Regis (Aldwick) has been retained, and that is of course disappointing, it is not surprising due to the way in which bathing water classifications are determined. READ MORE: Huge wildlife haven is being created in national park 'Each bathing water area is classified as Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor based on the previous four years of samples. 'Southern Water, the Environment Agency and Arun District Council have been working closely through a technical steering group and a partnership group to identify sources of contamination and resolve them. 'This collaborative approach is important to tackle possible sources of pollution to the bathing water wherever they are discovered. 'As well as this forum, the Yellow Fish campaign has now been introduced to this area to highlight the impact of what is put down the drains has on the bathing water quality. 'We can confirm that given recent sample testing, the quality of the water is moving in the right direction but this won't be seen in the classifications yet due to how the accumulative testing works.'
The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Map reveals UK's filthiest beaches where YOUR kids will play this summer with waste-ridden waters & grim sewage levels
THE UK'S dirtiest beaches have been revealed with parents warned to be aware when letting their kids play in the sea this summer. The 19 most filthy seaside spots were measured using the Environmental Agency's water quality data and marked on a map. Advertisement 4 The 19 filthiest beaches have been revealed using water quality data Credit: Alamy 4 All of Blackpool's beaches were found to have a 10/10 pollution risk last year Credit: Alamy It emerged that the number of "Brown Flag Beaches" has soared by 46 per cent this year. Brown Flags are a "poor" rating by the EA and are usually caused by the amount of sewage in the water. The news comes ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend, when families will flock to their local beach for children to play in the sea. Sunseekers have spent the last few days in rivers and beaches to cool off from the Advertisement The worst counties for these beaches are Somerset and Kent, so families may want to stay wary of where they plan a seaside trip. But those in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall also scored well when it came to cleanliness although each of the counties is also home to a Brown Flag beach. Lincolnshire and Hampshire also scored well for water cleanliness. Advertisement Most read in The Sun analysed the data from the Environmental Agency. Spokesperson Robbie Lane told the "We had hoped that we'd handing out fewer Brown Flags this year - but the numbers have surged. "Do your research this summer and you'll be saying 'wish you were here' rather than 'wish I'd worn a hazmat suit'." Advertisement Three stretches of Blackpool North was the worst offender, returning 4.85/10 for overall water cleanliness, making in All of Blackpool's beaches were found to have a 10/10 pollution risk by DEFRA. Advertisement Read more on the Irish Sun In June 2023, Blackpool North - which sits in front of Blackpool Tower - was It was among four Blackpool beaches which advised people not to swim 4 Lyme Regis in Devon was ranked on the list of dirty beaches Credit: Getty 4 The beach in Weston Super Mare, Somerset was also named and shamed Credit: Alamy Advertisement England's filthiest beaches, revealed: MANY popular beaches appeared on the Brown Flag list. 1 Porthluney, Cornwall 2 Coastguards Beach, Devon 3 Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach, Dorset 4 Southsea East, Hampshire 5 Deal Castle, Kent 6 Dymchurch, Kent 7 Littlestone, Kent 8 Blackpool North, Lancashire 9 St Annes North, Lancashire 10 Heacham, Norfolk 11 Weston Main, Weston Super Mare Sand Bay and Weston Super Mare Uphill Slipway, Somerset 12 Dunster Beach, Somerset 13 Blue Anchor West, Somerset 14 Bognor Regis, Sussex 15 Worthing Beach House, Sussex 16 Tynemouth Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear 17 Littlehaven Beach, Tyne and Wear 18 Scarborough South Bay, North Yorkshire 19 Bridlington South Beach, East Riding of Yorkshire
