In England and Northern Ireland we congratulate those who consistently make the grade but ask others to strive even harder for Blue Flag status

Alan Woods

Any British beach flying the flag has to pass the most stringent tests on beach management and safety.

Water quality must also have reached the microbiological Guideline Standards of the Bathing Water Directive - the highest defined by European Law.

Any beach with a blue flag has to display its water quality results, on easy-to-read signs.

If during the season, any beach falls below the standard, Tidy Britain Group is empowered to the flag immediately.

European Blue Flags are also given to marinas that pass 16 checks on environmental management.

Alan Woods, Tidy Britain Group Chief Executive said: "I firmly believe that Blue Flag is acting as a catalyst for improvements in Britain's beaches and when you consider only 17 were eligible for the award in 1992, it gives you some kind of indication of how far we've come since then.

"But now is not the time to rest on our laurels. "In England and Northern Ireland we congratulate those who consistently make the grade but ask others to strive even harder for Blue Flag status."

'Encouraging result'

He said that anyone who visits a British beach had a part to play in keeping it clean.

UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher said he was encouraged that more beaches in the UK had secured the European Blue Flag award than ever before.

"It is a further sign that our bathing waters are improving in quality and that channelling resources into environmental clean-up programmes is paying off," he said.

"I want to see a year-on-year increase in the number of Blue Flags.

Tidy Britain Group administers the European Blue Flag in the UK on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe.

It will present the awards to councils, beach managers and marina operators at a special ceremony in Hayling Island, Hampshire on Monday 5 June.

On that day, flags will be going up all over Europe to ensure that holidaymakers have the best possible guide to clean beaches and marinas.