Caravan owners looking to take a coastal holiday this summer will be glad to learn that the UK’s beaches are currently near their highest ever levels of cleanliness.
This is according to the Good Beach Guide 2011, which was published today by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).
In the guide, 461 UK beaches are recommended for having excellent water quality, the third-highest number in the past 24 years.
This surge in beach standards comes in advance of a new EU directive, which will come into place in 2015 and set new standards for water quality and beach cleanliness.
Rachel Wyatt, coastal pollution officer at the MCS, said: “Instead of viewing these new standards with dread, our coastal communities and water companies should welcome them as an opportunity to attract more people.”
Monitoring of UK beaches will begin next year, with signs due to be erected to warn swimmers of where the water quality is below acceptable levels.