MORECAMBE'S bathing water has been given a clean bill of health in the latest Government survey.

The three testing points in the area -- at Heysham, Morecambe South and Morecambe North -- are all clean enough to pass EC directive standards -- only the second time all the beaches have passed since records began.

The Environment Agency published the figures this week, and their regional water quality manager, Clive Gaskell, said: "Increasing levels of compliance have been achieved as a result of a combination of hard work and heavy investment by the water industry in improving sewage systems.

"This has been aided by the requirements of the urban wastewater treatment directive, and work by the Environment Agency identifying and tackling problem areas.

"We are pleased with the continuing improvement in bathing water quality -- but our work does not end here. Achieving excellence in the quality of bathing water is an intrinsic element of the agency's vision to improve and protect inland and coastal waters.

"We are continuing to work with water companies to improve coastal sewage systems, targeting investments to achieve the tighter 'guideline' standards and researching long-term water-quality problems to ensure even higher standards of bathing water quality for the future."

This year's standards are the highest since records began in 1988, with 98 per

cent passing nationally and just four out of 37 beaches in the north-west failing.