A North East beach has been named as one of the worst in the country for water quality after 'winning' a Brown Flag award.
Cullercoats Beach in Tynemouth has been rated 'poor' for its water quality by the Environment Agency, entering the 'top of the plops' charts again after featuring last year.
This is due to high levels of bacteria, including E. coli, from sewage and other waste at the beach.
Brown Flag awards are given to beaches with the worst water cleanliness readings in the UK.
The readings, based on tests conducted between May 15 and September 30, indicate high levels of pollution.
Beaches with the worst readings are often parts of popular resorts, but this does not necessarily mean the entire beach is poor for bathing.
Other beaches in the North East that have received the Brown Flag award include Littlehaven Beach in South Shields.
A Holiday Park Guru spokesperson said: "Swimming in the sea is a high priority for us on holiday, but I want to be the only thing floating.
"And so, in an effort to highlight England's beaches that you might want to avoid...we are proud to present the second ever Holiday Park Guru Brown Flag Awards.
"We've spent hours analysing official Environment Agency water quality data to select the ‘winners’.
"We have even offered to send tasteful brown flags to the worst beaches, so they can warn swimmers."
The spokesperson explained that the sea is less likely to be clean in winter due to more rainfall, which leads to more waste overflowing into rivers and the sea.
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The other beaches in the country who received the 'award' are:
- Porthluney in Cornwall
- Coastguards Beach in Devon
- Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach in Dorset
- Southsea East in Hampshire
- Deal Castle, Dymchurch, Littlestone in Kent
- Blackpool North and St Annes North in Lancashire
- Heacham in Norfolk
- Weston Main, Weston Super Mare Sand Bay and Weston Super Mare Uphill Slipway in Somerset
- Dunster Beach in Somerset
- Blue Anchor West in Somerset
- Bognor Regis, Aldwick in Sussex
- Worthing Beach House in Sussex
- Bridlington South Beach in East Riding of Yorkshire
