Blue Flag beach appeal successful

Felixstowe originally failed to meet European water quality standards

A beach on the Suffolk coast that lost its Blue Flag status in the annual Keep Britain Tidy awards for water quality has won it back.

Felixstowe claimed a technical problem with a sample taken for testing thwarted its chances of flying the prestigious flag.

After an appeal by Suffolk Coastal District Council, Felixstowe South was reinstated as a Blue Flag beach.

The beach has had Blue Flag status since 2000.

The council's appeal to the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in Copenhagen was supported by Keep Britain Tidy, which runs the Blue Flag programme in England, and the Environment Agency, responsible for testing water quality.

The beach had met all 30 different criteria for water quality, but there was a gap last summer of three days longer than allowed between water tests while the beach was closed to the public.

The Environment Agency has now supplied evidence that demonstrated the water quality was good.

A Keep Britain Tidy spokesman said: "We are delighted with FEE's decision and feel it is entirely right for Felixstowe South to retain its status.

"While there was a complication with the testing procedure, we believe that the beach's water quality is of an excellent standard."