FRINTON has lost its Blue Flag award leaving Brightlingsea and Dovercourt Bay as the only beaches to have the prestigious honour.

The town failed to retain the award despite its beach being named as one of the country’s best last year.

The blow comes after both Clacton’s Martello Beach and Walton’s Albion Beach lost their Blue Flags last year.

The flags are dished out each year by Keep Britain Tidy to recognise the best beaches in the UK.

Judges visit the sandy sites to mark them on how clean and safe they are, as well as their environmental standards and water quality. Frinton mayor Robert Bucke said: “Having a Blue Flag is not the reason people come to Frinton beach.

“I think only a small proportion of people who come to Frinton come because of the Blue Flag – they come here for our greensward and pristine beach.

“We don’t yet know the reasons for it, but I don’t think people will notice any difference in the water quality.

“It is affected by the conditions and direction of the tide coming from the Naze.”

Two of Tendring’s main holiday beaches - Brightlingsea and Dovercourt Bay - have retained their Blue Flags.

Criteria includes water quality and safety and services.

The duo have also scooped the less prestigious Seaside Awards for 2017 along with Frinton Beach, Harwich Beach, Martello Bay in Clacton, Walton’s Naze Beach and Walton’s Albion Beach.

Tendring Council put in bids for the awards earlier this year and has now received the confirmation.

Nigel Brown, Tendring Council’s communications manager, said that the council is delighted to have retained the two Blue Flags at a time when it is getting much harder to do so.

He said: “This is once again a coup for both Brightlingsea and Dovercourt Bay which have been justifiably recognised as being among the very best in the land once again.

“We are also pleased to have scooped the awards for five of our other beaches across the district.”

Mr Brown added that residents and visitors to the district can be reassured that Tendring still has some top quality beaches, with water quality of the highest possible standard and onshore facilities to match.

He said: “These awards are important but only one of the many reasons for people coming to visit their favourite resorts and beaches.

“Fortunately our seaside towns have so many attractions and other factors that help to pull in the visitors and help boost our tourist economy.

“The tourist economy is worth £365 million a year to Tendring and this figure is on the rise from the previous year.”

Last year the Martello Beach lost its flag bid over water quality concerns, while Tendring Council said the Walton loss was over “a technicality”.

The competition rules state the council could not nominate the beaches for the award this year because they were only lost last year.