- Several popular English beaches, including those in Cornwall, Devon, and Lancashire, have received a "poor" water quality rating from the Environment Agency due to the presence of faecal matter.
- The Environment Agency's annual tests analyse bacteria levels in bathing waters to assess their quality, assigning classifications ranging from "excellent" to "poor".
- Beaches with a "poor" rating will display signs advising against bathing, but remain open for public use.
- Out of 455 tested bathing waters in England, 37 were classified as "poor" in 2024, with 19 of those being beaches, including Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach in Dorset, Porthluney in Cornwall, and Bunster Beach in Somerset.
- Lancashire ranked lowest among counties, with none of its bathing spots achieving an "excellent" rating, while Northumberland excelled with over 90 per cent of its beaches achieving the highest rating.
IN FULL
The beaches with the worst water quality in England revealed
