From 2015 the qualification levels for the prestigious Blue Flag that recognises the cleanest beaches across Europe is being tightened up and this may cause some British beaches to struggle.

It is reported that beaches will require a longer (up to 5 years) clean track record and this puts at risk some beaches in the North West of England, including Blackpool and Morecambe because of some current pollution issues that have yet to be fully resolved.

We hope that these issues can be resolved quickly as we all want high quality beaches to visit across the UK.

If you are heading out for a day at the beach this Bank Holiday you can see a list of the current English Blue Flag beaches and Scottish Blue Flag beaches