Llandudno Beach is popular with tourists

Some beaches boasting the prestigious Blue Flag award for cleanliness and water quality look set to lose them.

The beaches at Colwyn Bay and Llandudno's north and west shore have failed to meet stringent guidelines for bathing water quality.

Although the Blue Flag will not be decided until January, failing the water test part of the award means automatic disqualification.

Our bathing waters are extremely clean Cllr Christine Jones, Llandudno

Anne Burns, for Blue Flag, said: "If the beaches are fairly borderline we do tell them what they can do next year.

"Hopefully then we can sort out all of their problems but we can't do anything about the water quality," she said.

Water at the beaches was tested every fortnight this year between 1 May and 30 September by the Environment Agency.

Testing times

The results, which include mandatory and the more stringent EC Directive guidelines, can go forward to a Blue Flag jury.

Councils have to apply to the Blue Flag jury by next week but failing the testing programme means they cannot gain the award.

Councillor Christine Jones, member of Craig-y-don in Llandudno, said she was very disappointed to hear of the news.

"We got it last year, you have to appreciate the pass mark is 90 per cent, it is very high.

"Just in case anyone thinks our bathing waters are not safe that is not so, we only just do not pass the mark - our bathing waters are extremely clean," she said.

The Environment Agency results show 65 beaches in Wales passed the EC Directive, compared to 62 last year.

A group of 12 passed the lesser mandatory standard, which includes the Llandudno and Colwyn Bay beaches.

To gain an overall Blue Flag award other criteria such as having toilets and facilities for the disabled are also looked at by a jury.

And the Blue Flag awards will be given out next year following a jury meeting in January.

New entries

Carywn Jones, minister for Environment Planning and Countryside, said more beaches than ever reached the guideline.

"Ten years ago, fewer than a quarter of Welsh beaches reached this standard, so clearly we have come a long way.

"We know how important clean bathing waters and beaches are to our tourism in Wales, so these record results are a boost," he added.

New entries from Southerndown, Aberafan and Cemaes Bay, have complied with strict results.