'Best' beaches are in South West

Torquay topped the poll

Two of the region's beaches have topped a poll of favourite destinations for Britons holidaying at home rather than abroad to beat the credit crunch.

Torquay in Devon and St Ives in Cornwall have been rated as the best 'lesser-known' beaches in a survey by internet company Laterooms.com

Torquay came first with 53% of the vote, while 45% preferred St Ives.

Nearly 60% of British holidaymakers are planning a seaside holiday, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Other destinations in the poll's top ten included Bournemouth, Weymouth and Weston-Super-Mare.

More than half of those surveyed said they had decided to stay in the UK because of the strong Euro, which is giving little return on the pound.

Nostalgia was another reason respondents gave for choosing a British beach break, saying it reminded them of childhood holidays.