Fall in bathing water standards

2 June 2008 04:06pm

Britain's holiday coastline has received a 96.5% cleanliness rating - but 20 of the 573 beaches monitored failed European bathing water standards in 2007.

Figures show a fall in standards for the first time since 2003 but, with summer approaching, bathing water quality across the UK is still above the EU average of 95%.

A report last year showed a 99.6% cleanliness rating with only two beaches marked down.

Now the report lists St Anne's, south of Blackpool, three Scarborough beaches and Morecambe South among stretches of coast where the water fails to meet EU standards for contamination set down in a Bathing Water Directive first introduced in 1976.

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas commented: "A slight downward trend can be observed for coastal bathing areas, but bathing water quality remains high in the EU. I encourage member states to continue to work towards full compliance of all bathing sites, inland and on the coast."

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