THE Tidy Britain Group has revealed that another North-west beach has won the coveted Seaside Award flag.

The award to Formby is the third given to beaches in the area and shows that standards are improving.

The distinctive yellow and blue award flags are given to those meeting strict criteria such as EC requirements on bathing water, good beach safety, supervision and good management.

David Smith, Tidy Britain Group North-west director, is pleased with the results and believes the awards are good news for residents, tourists and the local business community.

Councils of the winning beaches will receive their flags in London on April 7. He said: "No one likes to have their visit to the seaside spoilt by litter, pollution or dog-fouling so the public rely on the Seaside Awards to direct them to high quality beaches.

"It is still up to all beach users to respect and care for their local environment."

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