BEACHES in Lancashire are failing to reach European cleanliness standards despite North West Water's £150 million clean-up programme.

Lancashire County Council heard eight of the county's 11 beaches have failed the Euro test.

And according to County Hall officials the sea around Lancashire has got dirtier over the last 12 months with the list of shame increasing with two new beaches.

Blackpool has been given a black mark along with St Anne's and Fleetwood. The failure rate is highest at Blackpool's south beach.

The only places to come out with credit are Morecambe and Bispham.

A report to Lancashire County Council's planing, industrial development and tourism committee reads: "The failures are particularly disappointing in view of the £150 million programme of improvements that have been completed along the Fylde coast." The Government's Environment Agency has commissioned a study with the aim of discovering why there is such a high number of failures in Lancashire.

The results of the study are expected within the next couple of months.

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