Liverpool's Royal Albert and Salthouse Dock awarded England's first ever Blue Flag Marina status

The Royal Albert and Salthouse Docks in Liverpool have been awarded England's first ever International Blue Flag for their outstanding water quality and marinas. Credit: The Canal and Rivers Trust

England has got its first ever Blue Flag Marina - as the Royal Albert Dock and Salthouse Dock Marina in Liverpool have been recognised for their outstanding water quality and safety.

The Canal and Rivers Trust which look after the sites say they've become a haven for marine wildlife and waterfront activities.

The Trust looks after 36 hectares of waterspace at Liverpool's South Docks and was awarded the international Blue Flag after its marinas in Liverpool received top marks for outstanding water quality, high standards of environmental information, management, safety and boating services.

The Trust say the water quality within the docks is of the highest standard and is home to an array of wildlife including thousands of blue mussels and hundreds of two-metre-long European conger eels, nicknamed by the locals as 'Dock Ness Monsters' due to their scary snake like appearance. During the summer months thousands of moon jellyfish can be found floating in the water.

Today, Friday 18 June, they will be unveiling the Blue Flag from a new floating stage at Salthouse dock.

  • Here's some spectacular drone shots of the docks