Essex: Seven Beaches Included In Good Beach Guide

Just seven of Essex's 18 beaches have been included in this year's Good Beach Guide.

The guide highlights which beaches have the recommended standard of water quality and which do not.

The number from Essex has halved from 2012, when 14 were included - a trend which is played out around the country. 

Rachel Wyatt from the Marine Conservation Society, which is behind the guide, told Heart it is all down to heavy rain last summer: "Lots of rainfall washes pollution off of areas such as urban areas and agricultural land. 

"Also we can see increased overflow from sewers because they can't cope with the amount of water that is going through the sewer network." 

"Action must be taken now. With stricter bathing water standards from 2015 and summers that appear to be getting wetter, the iconic image of people bathing off golden beaches could be at serious risk. 

"There is no simple solution to sewage and animal waste reaching our seas. However if the water industry, communities and local authorities recognise that there is a problem and begin to work together to find answers that would be a significant start.'' 

The conservation organisation said there was an urgent need for improved monitoring of overflow pipes which can discharge raw sewage into rivers and the sea from sewer networks when heavy rain overloads the system with water from street drains. 

And action was needed to reduce pollution from farms and urban areas, ahead of tougher EU rules on water quality coming in from 2015. 

The beaches in Essex that are included are: Clacton, Dovercourt, Frinton, Shoeburyness, Southend Thorpe Bay, Walton, West Mersea.