Seven beaches in Tendring have been handed prestigious awards by Keep Britain Tidy.

The beaches at Brightlingsea, Dovercourt Bay, Harwich, Frinton, Walton-on-the-Naze and the town’s Albion beach, and Martello Bay in Clacton have all been given Seaside Awards in recognition of their quality.

In addition the beaches at Dovercourt Bay and Brightlingsea retained their Blue Flag status, with all Tendring seafronts retaining their accreditation. This is a huge boost to Essex’ coastal towns, with neighbouring region Suffolk losing their Blue Flag.

Mike Carran, Tendring District Council’s Head of Sport and Leisure, said the awards reflected just how important seafronts are to the area.

“Our beaches right around the district are a brilliant asset, not just for residents but also for tourists and the whole tourism industry,” he said.

“We recognise this and invest so much in them – from our Beach Patrol service in the holidays, improvements to our seafronts and promenades, or even creating beautiful new beaches as we did in Holland-on-Sea, and which we are now improving access to with ongoing cliff stabilisation scheme. This recognition is a great advert for the Essex Sunshine Coast, and it should be remembered it is not easy to keep, let alone gain, Blue Flag and Seaside Award status. We will continue to look after our beaches for the benefit of all.”

Image shows (from left) seafronts business manager Yana Humphreys, Mike Carran Head of Sport and Leisure, and Beach Patrol warden Andy Brouard with a Blue Flag at Dovercourt Bay Beach. Picture: Matt Cattermole/TDC