The UK has plenty of beautiful beaches up and down the country, but some are dirtier than others

When it comes to heading to the seaside you want crystal clear waters, pristine sand and naturally, zero rubbish. Whilst Britain boasts numerous stunning coastal spots across the nation, occasionally they can be marred with, well, debris.

Research has found the UK’s most polluted beaches, listing them according to the worst contamination levels. This is according to retailer Cartridge Save, which identified the top 10.

The study examined water purity by analysing concentrations of E. coli bacteria and intestinal enterococci, as well as TripAdvisor guest feedback for each spot.

The coastal areas were assessed using a “water cleanliness score” from zero to 10, with 10 indicating the finest state, reports the Express.

10. Lowestoft

E. Coli – 45

Int. Enterococci – 12

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 3

Water cleanliness score – 7.45

Lowestoft in Suffolk makes the top 10 muckiest beaches in the UK with a score of 7.45 out of 10. Despite ranking 45th for E.coli, it’s 12th for intestinal enterococci and third for the fewest ‘Excellent’ ratings.

9. Lancing, Beach Green

E. Coli – 25

Int. Enterococci – 7

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 26

Water cleanliness score – 7.29

Lancing Beach Green in Lancing is next at ninth place with a score of 7.29. It ranks 25th for E.coli and 7th for intestinal enterococci.

8. Seascale

E. Coli – 5

Int. Enterococci – 11

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 29

Water cleanliness score – 7.28

Seascale in Cumbria lands in eighth place with a score of 7.28 out of 10, ranking 5th for E. coli and 11th for intestinal enterococci.

7. Three Shells Beach

E. Coli – 13

Int. Enterococci – 20

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 2

Water cleanliness score – 7.22

Three Shells Beach in Southend-on-Sea comes in seventh with a score of 7.22 out of 10. Despite ranking 20th for intestinal enterococci and 13th for E.coli, the beach has received only 9.38 percent positive reviews from visitors, placing it in the second-worst spot in this category.

This underscores the need for continuous improvements to boost the overall tourist experience.

6. Brighton Beach

E. Coli – 14

Int. Enterococci – 6

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 17

Water cleanliness score – 6.92

Brighton Beach, despite being one of the UK’s most renowned and bustling beaches all year round, takes the sixth spot with a score of 6.92 out of 10. It struggles with high levels of intestinal enterococci bacteria (ranking sixth) and E.coli (ranking 14th), showing that even popular spots can have significant cleanliness issues.

5. Littlestone

E. Coli – 4

Int. Enterococci – 5

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 21

Water cleanliness score – 6.51

Littlestone Beach in Littlestone rounds out the top five with a score of 6.51 out of 10. With it ranking fourth for E.coli levels and fifth for intestinal enterococci, it’s best to give this beach a miss.

4. Hunstanon (Old Hunstanton)

E. Coli – 6

Int. Enterococci – 4

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 44

Water cleanliness score – 6.34

Old Hunstanton had the fourth-highest levels of intestinal enterococci and the sixth-highest levels of E. coli, giving it a water cleanliness score of 6.34 and placing it fourth on the list.

3. Fraisthorpe

E. Coli – 3

Int. Enterococci – 2

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 30

Water cleanliness score – 3.83

Fraisthorpe Beach in Fraisthorpe and Old Hunstanton Beach in Hunstanton rank third and fourth respectively, with scores of 3.83/10 and 6.34/10. Fraisthorpe recorded the second-highest levels of intestinal enterococci and the third-highest levels of E.coli.

2. Southend Westcliff Bay

E. Coli – 2

Int. Enterococci – 3

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 34

Water cleanliness score – 2.16

Southend Westcliff Bay in Southend-on-Sea is not far behind, scoring a mere 2.76 out of 10 for water cleanliness. This beach recorded the highest levels of intestinal enterococci and the second-highest levels of E.coli. Moreover, only 40% of online reviews rated the beach as excellent.

1. Haverigg

E.Coli – 1

Int. Enterococci – 3

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 34

Water cleanliness score – 2.16

Haverigg Beach, located in Haverigg, Cumbria, has been named the dirtiest beach in the UK, with a disappointing water cleanliness score of just 2.16 out of 10.

Haverigg Beach had the highest levels of E. coli of any UK beach analysed and ranked third for levels of intestinal enterococci.

Despite these concerning results, many visitors have left positive reviews, recounting enjoyable experiences at the beach.