The Marine Conservation Society says a record number of British beaches have excellent water quality - but of the 14 beaches that failed to reach minimum standards, three are in the Isle of Man.

Peel, Ramsey and Kirk Michael are at the bottom of the ranking system along with 11 other beaches all down the west coast from Cumbria to Devon, and including a beach in Guernsey.

However, 26 per cent of beaches in the Isle of Man are MCS-recommended, compared to 10.5 per cent last year.

The Good Beach Guide has recommended 73 per cent of beaches throughout Britain as having 'excellent' water quality, with the MCS stating the driest summer last year since 2003 contributed towards the high quality of many beaches as there's less pollution running off rural and urban areas and overloaded sewers.

Beaches in the Isle of Man that have been judged excellent in terms of water quality are Port St Mary, Port Grenaugh, Castletown and Derbyhaven.

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