World

Fewer UK beaches gain top marks

by Dave Keating | May 23, 2008 at 02:51 am

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The UK's beaches, which already have a pretty bad rep, have been given bad ratings for pollution again this year.

Bathing water at beaches across the UK is more polluted as a result of last year's stormy summer, the Marine Conservation Society has warned.

Its annual Good Beach Guide shows the number of beaches with excellent water quality has fallen by 10% since last year, the biggest drop in 21 years.

Of 779 beaches tested, 443 got a top rating, compared with 495 last year.

The society blamed last summer's heavy rain for sweeping raw sewage and animal waste into rivers and the sea.

Bucking the trend

The tests carried out between May and September last year, coincided with what was thought to be the wettest British summer on record.

According to the results, Suffolk's coastline has some of the cleanest water in the UK, while the Channel Islands' waters seemed to suffer worst over the year with the number of recommended beaches falling from 15 to 8.