TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Summer vacations are often associated with beach tourism. However, travelers heading to Britain may want to steer clear of certain beaches.
According to the Brown Flag awards list released by Holiday Park Guru, some beaches have been identified as the worst due to dirty water and problems with waste disposal.
The annual Brown Flag awards assess polluted coastlines using official water quality data from the UK Environmental Agency. Beaches receive Brown Flag status when they show high levels of harmful bacteria, such as e-coli from waste and other contaminants.
Water quality measurements are taken during the warmer months, which is when people are most likely to swim. Additionally, winter tends to bring dirtier water due to increased rainfall that washes more pollutants into rivers and seas.
Robbie Lane of Holiday Park Guru expressed hope that fewer beaches would receive Brown Flags this year. Unfortunately, the number has risen sharply from 13 in 2024 to 19 in 2025.
"We hope to share fewer Brown Flags this year, but the situation is getting worse,"We had hoped that we’d be handing out fewer Brown Flags this year – but things have gone down the pan. Do your research this summer and you’ll be saying 'wish you were here' rather than 'wish I’d worn a hazmat suit'," he said, as quoted by Mirror.
Popular tourist destinations such as Blackpool, Weston Super Mare, and Bognor Regis have reported some of the most troubling water quality results, suggesting potential health risks in these well-visited areas. However, not all parts of these beaches are necessarily affected, as low ratings may apply only to specific zones.
Lancashire ranks at the bottom of the regional table, with none of its ten designated bathing areas receiving a three-star 'excellent' cleanliness rating from the Environmental Agency. Other low-performing areas include Somerset, Cumbria, Merseyside, and Kent.
In contrast, Northumberland leads the rankings, with over 90 percent of its beaches receiving three stars and the highest scores for water cleanliness. Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall also earned strong ratings, as did Isle of Wight, County Durham, Lincolnshire, and Suffolk, all of which achieved one of the top two grades.
Among the new additions to the Brown Flag list are Coastguards Beach and Erme Estuary in Devon, Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach in Dorset, Deal Castle and Dymchurch in Kent, Blue Anchor West in Somerset, Worthing Beach House in Sussex, and Littlehaven Beach in Tyne and Wear.
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