How safe is your beach? SUSSEX

Littlehampton Beach, packed with visiters last year Credit: PA

The Marine Conservation Society says water quality at our beaches has dropped. In the annual Good Beach Guide, which looks at bathing water quality, fewer beaches passed - and others dropped a classification.

In Sussex, 2 beaches improved, 8 dropped in rating, and 18 stayed the same.

Key:

Recommended

Achieved MCS Recommended standards – our standard for excellent water quality

-Guideline bathing water standards were met, but 100% of samples did not exceed 2,000 E.coli per 100 ml

-Local continuous sewage discharges are appropriately treated to remove the majority of bacteria and viruses using, as a minimum, secondary treatment3

Guideline

Achieved Guideline bathing water standards – our standard for higher water quality

-Mandatory bathing water standards were met

-80% of samples did not exceed 100 E.coli per 100 ml

-90% of samples did not exceed 100 intestinal enterococci per 100 ml4

Mandatory

Achieved Mandatory bathing water standards – our standard for minimum water quality

-95% of samples did not exceed 2,000 E.coli per 100 ml5

Fail

Failed Mandatory bathing water standards – did not meet our minimum water quality

standard

Sussex beaches:

West Wittering, West Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Selsey, West Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Mandatory

Pagham, West Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Bognor Regis (Aldwick), West Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Recommended

Bognor Regis East, West Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Recommended

Felpham, West Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Recommended

Middleton-on-Sea, West Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Mandatory

Littlehampton, West Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Recommended

Worthing, West Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Recommended

Lancing, Beach Green, West Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Mandatory

Southwick, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Hove West, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Hove, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Brighton Central, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Brighton Kemptown, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Saltdean, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Mandatory

Seaford, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Birling Gap, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Eastbourne, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Pevensey Bay, East Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Guideline

Norman's Bay, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Cooden Beach, East Sussex

2013 rating: Recommended

2012 rating: Recommended

Bexhill, East Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Mandatory

St Leonards, East Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Recommended

Hastings, East Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Mandatory

Winchelsea, East Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Mandatory

Camber, East Sussex

2013 rating: Mandatory

2012 rating: Recommended