MORE of the region's beaches have been declared the best in Britain.
Seven beaches in Tyne and Wear and three in North Yorkshire have won the European Blue Flag.
The award is given for having spotless, litter-free sands, the cleanest possible water and good facilities.
Whitley Bay South, in North Tyneside, rejoins the list after it won the accolade in 2002, but lost its flag last year. Filey, in North Yorkshire, has won for the first time.
Other winners in the North-East were Sandhaven, in South Tyneside; Cullercoats, King Edward's Bay and Longsands South, in Tynemouth; and Whitburn North and South, near Sunderland, which all retained Blue Flags from last year.
In North Yorkshire, Scarborough North Bay and Whitby West Cliff both retained Blue Flag status.
The Blue Flag awards are organised in the UK by charity Environmental Campaigns (Encams), which runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.
Nationally, a record 122 beaches this year won the award. This puts the UK eighth in the European table.
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