Every North East beach with a prestigious Blue Flag award

The summer months are nearly here and, as temperatures continue to rise through in the buildup to June, July and August, beaches across the region will be hugely busy.

For those looking for their best local spot, some North East beaches along the coast have been awarded a prestigious blue flag, marking the top coastal sites in the world.

The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches and marinas globally with just over 5,000 worldwide coastal sites included in the list.

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The group behind the scheme claim in order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of strict environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.

Of all the beaches in the UK, just 77 have been awarded the Blue Flag, the ninth most in the world, while Spain leads the rankings with 628 beaches.

No Northumberland sites currently have a blue flag, although other beaches across North Tyneside and Sunderland have been awarded the award.

Two Tynemouth sites currently have the award, these are King Edwards Bay and Long Sands Beach while Roker and Seaburn Beaches in Sunderland have also been given the top award.

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