95% of British beaches clean enough to swim, EU tests show

Remain supporters point to latest water quality tests as an example of how EU membership has spurred a dramatic clean up of UK beaches

Almost 95% of British beaches have been given a clean bill of health in the latest EU survey of coastal water quality, down slightly on two years ago.

As recently as 1991, around a quarter of British bathing waters were too dirty to swim in but the threat of EU infringement cases and beach closures, has spurred a dramatic change since then.