Society accolade sees Bognor Regis beach bucking trend

The eastern section of the seafront from the pier to Butlins has received a 'recommended' status in the latest Good Beach Guide.

The book's publisher, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has said Britain's beaches are much worse than a year ago.

But Bognor '“ and Middleton '“ both buck the trend by gaining the highest standard possible.

The rating improves on the basic rating the beaches received in the 2008 edition.

The accolade comes on top of the return of the European Blue Flag to Bognor and its first National Quality Coast award.

However, beaches elsewhere are suffering from the effects of heavy

rainfall which made last summer the seventh wettest on record.

Thomas Bell, the society's coastal pollution officer, said: "The results reflect last summer's heavy rain which swept waterborne pollutants like raw sewage, petro-chemicals and farm waste into rivers and the sea.

"The society is now recommending 25 per cent fewer beaches than

three years ago and we're becoming concerned the existing infrastructure for handling storm pollution may not be up to the job."

Only 370 beaches out of 777 tested are recommended in the guide compared with the 444 a year ago.

This is the biggest year-on-year fall in the guide's 22 year history and the first time since 2002 the society has recommended less than half of Britain's bathing beaches.