The cleanest and dirtiest beaches in Britain revealed

Photo credit: AH annascornwallview - Getty Images

The cleanest and dirtiest beaches for sea swimming in Britain have been revealed — and Cornwall's Treyarnon Bay has scooped first place for its glistening, hygienic waters.

In order to help you plan your summer staycation, Business Waste has analysed government water quality data over the past two years from 425 beaches across England, Scotland and Wales.

We might be blessed with beautiful beaches here in the UK, but it turns out not all of them are safe for swimming. In fact, the rankings in the study are based on the total count of E. Coli — a fecal indicator detected in the seawater during routine government testing.

While Treyarnon Bay came first, St Annes Beach in Lancashire was voted the worst beach for swimming in the country. Scoring a very high E. coli score of 4,338, this is one to avoid diving into. Other beaches with some of the dirtiest water include Plymouth Hoe East Beach, Devon, and Dorset's Bowleaze Cove.

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"With summer travel back to normal this year, deciding on a beach spot may be a hot topic over the next few months," Mark Hall, the co-founder of BusinessWaste.co.uk, says.

"You will probably avoid beaches that are filled with litter and washed-up plastic waste, but you may not instantly think about what dangerous bacteria may be lingering in the water. We hope that our study on the cleanest and dirtiest beaches will help you make that all-important decision, and we urge you to stay safe in those coastal waters too!"

Are you wondering where the cleanest and dirtiest beaches are? Take a look at the full findings below...

10 cleanest beaches in Britain

1. Treyarnon Bay, Cornwall (50 score of cleanliness)

2. Shell Bay, Dorset (51)

3. Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset (53)

4. Kennack Sands, Cornwall (54)

5. Durdle Door East, Dorset (55)

6. Constantine Bay, Cornwall (56)

7. Combesgate Beach, Devon (56)

8. Church Cove, Cornwal (57)

9. Poole Shore Road Beach, Dorset (58)

10. Praa Sands East, Cornwall (67)

Photo credit: SueBurtonPhotography - Getty Images

10 dirtiest beaches in Britain

1. St Annes Beach, Lancashire (4,338)

2. Plymouth Hoe East Beach, Devon (3,611)

3. Bowleaze Cove, Dorset (3,349)

4. Thurlestone South, Devon (3,095)

5. Cleethorpes Beach, Lincolnshire (2,764)

6. Scarborough South Bay, North Yorkshire (2,663)

7. Blackpool Central Beach, Lancashire (2,502)

8. Broadstairs, Viking Bay, Lancashire (2,482)

9. Lyme Regis Front Beach, Dorset (2,464)

10. Anstey's Cove Torquay, Devon (2,407)

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