Flooding pollutes Britain’s top beaches

Fewer beaches were clean enough to be awarded a blue flag this year, with flooding blamed as the main culprit.

Keep Britain Tidy awarded 71 blue flags for 2009, 11 fewer than were awarded last year.

“The drop in blue flags is largely due to flooding over the past couple of years - and there is nothing anybody can do about that,” a KBT spokesperson said.

KBT also pointed out that the number of blue flag beaches has increased significantly since the award began in 2002, when just 45 beaches were granted the prestigious status.

Blue flags are awarded for clean water, litter-free beaches, good facilities, and high safety standards.

In addition to blue flags, 113 British beaches achieved a quality coast award (QCA), 31 more than during 2008.

QCAs are given to the country’s best managed beaches that are unable to reach the blue flag standard for water quality.

The Isle of Wight topped the honours list this year with 14 awards - two blue flags and 12 QCAs.

It was joined by Torbay, which also won 14 awards - five blue flags and nine QCAs, followed.

Thanet took eleven awards - seven blue flags, and four QCAs.