A record 98.4% of UK beaches and inland bathing areas met European Union quality standards this year, it was announced today.

English bathing areas achieved a best-ever 98.8% pass rate, while Northern Ireland got a perfect score of 100% clean beaches, it was revealed. Results released earlier this year showed a pass rate of 98.7% in Wales and 94.8% in Scotland.

And almost three-quarters (73.5%) of English beaches met the tighter guidelines allowing them to fly the Blue Flag as a mark of high-quality bathing water.

But more improvements will be needed if the UK is to meet tough new mandatory standards being proposed by the European Commission, as well as the EC Water Framework Directive, said environment minister Elliot Morley.

Revealing the results for England today, he said: ''I am pleased to announce another record season for bathing water quality in England and the UK.

''Despite this being the sixth consecutive year of improvement, we must maintain our good efforts if further water quality improvements are to be achieved.

''We must continue to place a greater emphasis on tackling all sources of diffuse pollution, especially livestock and fertiliser from agricultural land, that impact on bathing water quality.

''The particularly dry summer this year has helped to minimise the impact of diffuse pollution flushing through our river catchments out to sea. However, we cannot continue to let our bathing water quality be influenced by the weather in some areas so it is important to address this particular issue.''

Only five of the 411 English coastal and freshwater bathing areas failed to meet the European Bathing Water Directive minimum standards for levels of coliform bacteria, mineral oils or chemicals, which indicate the presence of sewage or other pollutants.

These were Staithes in North Yorkshire, Flamborough North Landing in East Yorkshire, East Looe in Cornwall, Blue Anchor West in Somerset and Heysham Half-Moon Bay in Lancashire.

Fails recorded in Scotland - first announced by the Scottish Executive in September - were Brighouse Bay and Rockcliffe in Dumfries and Galloway and Ettrick Bay on the island of Bute. Wales's one fail - announced by the Welsh Assembly last month - was Llangranog in Ceredigion.

A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Assembly's Department of the Environment welcomed the 100% pass rate recorded by the province's 16 beaches.

''These results show a welcome improvement on last year,'' he said. ''It is an excellent result for Northern Ireland beaches and will provide a welcome boost for tourism in many coastal resorts.

''The long spell of dry weather during the summer months has played a key part in ensuring a high level of bathing water quality.''

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is investing £600 million in England and Wales up to 2005 to improve bathing water quality, targeting more than 100 sewage treatment works and several hundred storm overflows. Further investment is also being planned for 2005-2010.