Top of the Plops - Southsea among first ever beaches to be given 'Brown Flag' award for poor water quality

UK travel site Holiday Park Guru found that Hampshire is England's eighth cleanest county for swimming in the sea this summer - but Southsea East beach has been given a 'Brown Flag Award' for being one of the worst. 

The nation's 13 ‘dirtiest beaches’ are being offered the mock accolade, and the 'winners' are being offered complimentary brown flags featuring a poo emoji to display to swimmers. These beaches are rated as 'poor' by the Environment Agency due to bacteria such as e-coli from sewage and other waste.

The EA has changed the classification of Southsea East and Eastney bathing sites from “sufficient” and “excellent”, to “poor” and “good” respectively for the 2024 bathing season. Signs in the area will warn against swimming.

Overall, 75 percent of Hampshire's beaches are considered 'excellent' for the quality of their sea water in summer.  

Keen sea-swimmer Robbie Lane from Holiday Park Guru said: “We’re hoping to make a real splash in the papers with the launch of England’s first ever 'Brown Flag Awards'. Commiserations to our 13 winners this year – you really are top of the plops. We just hope they’ll take up our offer of a free brown flag, although I’m afraid we can’t quite afford to provide a flagpole as well.”

 “On a more positive note, high praise is warranted for England's 273 beaches with the top rating for their water quality - including nine beaches in Hampshire. You can find a full list of all the three star swimming spots at https://www.holidayparkguru.co.uk. With a bit of research, there's a good chance you will be the only thing floating in the sea this summer!"

The Brown Flag Awards Winners 2024

The Brown Flag Awards are reserved for those select beaches which score a ‘poor’ rating from the Environment Agency’s water quality tests:

1. Porthluney in Cornwall

2. Southsea East in Hampshire

3. Saint Mary’s Bay in Kent

4. Littlestone in Kent

5. Blackpool North in Lancashire

6. St Annes North in Lancashire

7. Heacham in Norfolk

8. Weston Main, Weston Super Mare Sand Bay and Weston Super Mare Uphill Slipway in Somerset

9. Dunster Beach in Somerset

10. Bognor Regis, Aldwick in Sussex

11. Tynemouth Cullercoats in Tyne and Wear

12. Scarborough South Bay in North Yorkshire

13. Bridlington South Beach in East Riding of Yorkshire

Weston Super Mare’s three water quality reading locations all rated poor but they have just been awarded one Brown Flag Award. For more details see: www.holidayparkguru.co.uk/brown-flag-awards.