dirtiest

The UK has plenty of beautiful beaches up and down the country, but some are dirtier than others

When it comes to heading to the seaside you want crystal clear waters, pristine sand and naturally, zero rubbish. Whilst Britain boasts numerous stunning coastal spots across the nation, occasionally they can be marred with, well, debris.

Research has found the UK’s most polluted beaches, listing them according to the worst contamination levels. This is according to retailer Cartridge Save, which identified the top 10.

The study examined water purity by analysing concentrations of E. coli bacteria and intestinal enterococci, as well as TripAdvisor guest feedback for each spot.

The coastal areas were assessed using a “water cleanliness score” from zero to 10, with 10 indicating the finest state, reports the Express.

10. Lowestoft

E. Coli – 45

Int. Enterococci – 12

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 3

Water cleanliness score – 7.45

Lowestoft in Suffolk makes the top 10 muckiest beaches in the UK with a score of 7.45 out of 10. Despite ranking 45th for E.coli, it’s 12th for intestinal enterococci and third for the fewest ‘Excellent’ ratings.

9. Lancing, Beach Green

E. Coli – 25

Int. Enterococci – 7

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 26

Water cleanliness score – 7.29

Lancing Beach Green in Lancing is next at ninth place with a score of 7.29. It ranks 25th for E.coli and 7th for intestinal enterococci.

8. Seascale

E. Coli – 5

Int. Enterococci – 11

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 29

Water cleanliness score – 7.28

Seascale in Cumbria lands in eighth place with a score of 7.28 out of 10, ranking 5th for E. coli and 11th for intestinal enterococci.

7. Three Shells Beach

E. Coli – 13

Int. Enterococci – 20

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 2

Water cleanliness score – 7.22

Three Shells Beach in Southend-on-Sea comes in seventh with a score of 7.22 out of 10. Despite ranking 20th for intestinal enterococci and 13th for E.coli, the beach has received only 9.38 percent positive reviews from visitors, placing it in the second-worst spot in this category.

This underscores the need for continuous improvements to boost the overall tourist experience.

6. Brighton Beach

E. Coli – 14

Int. Enterococci – 6

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 17

Water cleanliness score – 6.92

Brighton Beach, despite being one of the UK’s most renowned and bustling beaches all year round, takes the sixth spot with a score of 6.92 out of 10. It struggles with high levels of intestinal enterococci bacteria (ranking sixth) and E.coli (ranking 14th), showing that even popular spots can have significant cleanliness issues.

5. Littlestone

E. Coli – 4

Int. Enterococci – 5

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 21

Water cleanliness score – 6.51

Littlestone Beach in Littlestone rounds out the top five with a score of 6.51 out of 10. With it ranking fourth for E.coli levels and fifth for intestinal enterococci, it’s best to give this beach a miss.

4. Hunstanon (Old Hunstanton)

E. Coli – 6

Int. Enterococci – 4

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 44

Water cleanliness score – 6.34

Old Hunstanton had the fourth-highest levels of intestinal enterococci and the sixth-highest levels of E. coli, giving it a water cleanliness score of 6.34 and placing it fourth on the list.

3. Fraisthorpe

E. Coli – 3

Int. Enterococci – 2

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 30

Water cleanliness score – 3.83

Fraisthorpe Beach in Fraisthorpe and Old Hunstanton Beach in Hunstanton rank third and fourth respectively, with scores of 3.83/10 and 6.34/10. Fraisthorpe recorded the second-highest levels of intestinal enterococci and the third-highest levels of E.coli.

2. Southend Westcliff Bay

E. Coli – 2

Int. Enterococci – 3

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 34

Water cleanliness score – 2.16

Southend Westcliff Bay in Southend-on-Sea is not far behind, scoring a mere 2.76 out of 10 for water cleanliness. This beach recorded the highest levels of intestinal enterococci and the second-highest levels of E.coli. Moreover, only 40% of online reviews rated the beach as excellent.

1. Haverigg

E.Coli – 1

Int. Enterococci – 3

Least ‘excellent’ ratings – 34

Water cleanliness score – 2.16

Haverigg Beach, located in Haverigg, Cumbria, has been named the dirtiest beach in the UK, with a disappointing water cleanliness score of just 2.16 out of 10.

Haverigg Beach had the highest levels of E. coli of any UK beach analysed and ranked third for levels of intestinal enterococci.

Despite these concerning results, many visitors have left positive reviews, recounting enjoyable experiences at the beach.

A new list has been made of the “dirtiest” beaches in the UK as many Brits are heading to the coast this month during school summer holidays to enjoy the hot weather

Brits have been given a list of the dirtiest beaches in the UK where there have even been reports of human faeces found, according to new research.

With the exceptionally hot weather so far this year many people have taken advantage by heading to the coast on holiday and some have been left shocked at the state of the beaches they have visited. Experts have also told how there is a lot of litter which is lift behind after vast crowds turn up with plastics a particular problem as it is a hazard for local wildlife.

And for those wondering which is the dirtiest beach, Skegness Beach in Lincolnshire has been named as the worst offender, closely followed by Margate Main Sands and Formby Beach in Merseyside.

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The research was carried out by plastic waste specialists at BusinessWaste.co.uk have listed the most litter-strewn beaches in the UK. The experts analysed TripAdvisor reviews to determine how many mentioned litter on the beach.

One review of Skegness Beach from June 2025 warned: “Avoid the grass dunes between the car park and the beach. Not only do you have to dodge the dog waste you also have to with human waste and serviettes covered in faeces and left for you to tread in.”

Another visitor lamented: “Unfortunately, on the walk down the beach, we passed a lot of trash, dirty nappies and baby wipes strewn about the place in one area, and broken glass.”

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, with many tourists sharing positive experiences on TripAdvisor. Despite some comparing Skegness to North Korea and Syria as the worst place to visit, it continues to be a popular destination for many British families.

A review posted in May 2025 reads: “Skegness is a proper seaside resort. It has everything that you expect from a trip to the coast and a lot more besides. From the iconic Clock Tower to its many attractions.

“But for us the best part was the beach, immaculate golden sands with plenty of places to buy ice cream, fresh food and drinks (including beer and wine). Well done Skeggy! ! ! PS The Blue Fin Fish Bar serves battered fish that is phenomenal.”

Holidaymakers visiting Margate Main Sands have voiced comparable grievances, with assessments highlighting shattered glass, canine excrement, and human waste.

Whilst Formby Beach has received positive feedback generally, countless evaluations reference rubbish scattered across the shoreline. One visitor grumbled that they discovered the car park completely occupied by 10:30am and the coastline already packed with crowds and strewn with debris.

Numerous other beachgoers remarked on abandoned picnics, discarded disposable barbecues littering the sand, and even discovering drug-related items, reported the Express.

Graham Matthews, plastic waste specialist at BusinessWaste.co.uk, says: “Litter on the UK’s beaches turns our natural beauty spots into an eyesore and poses a huge environmental threat to marine life.

“Each year, as the weather heats up, we see a sharp rise in people flocking to the seaside, but sadly, many don’t clean up after themselves. It’s common to find food packaging, disposable BBQs, and even human and animal waste scattered across our shores.

“All this unsightly litter ruins the enjoyment of our beaches, but it also threatens local wildlife. Plastic is a particularly major hazard as it takes so long to break down naturally. Initially, this litter can endanger wildlife, entangle animals or be ingested. However, over time, plastic breaks down into smaller particles known as microplastics that find their way into water, sea life, and even our food chain.”

The UK’s most littered beaches

1. Skegness Beach, Lincolnshire
2. Margate Main Sands, Kent
3. Formby Beach, Merseyside
4. Blackpool Beach, Blackpool
5. Whitmore Bay Beach, Barry Island
6. Bournemouth Beach, Bournemouth
7. Scarborough Beach, Scarborough
8. Weston-super-Mare Beach, Somerset
9. Botany Bay, Kent
10. Clacton-on-Sea Beach, Essex

Batu Caves, located just outside of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, are sacred for Hindus across the world, but also have issues with cheeky monkeys and piles of rubbish

A sacred tourist spot has become overrun by monkeys and plagued by litter.

Batu Caves, located just outside of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, took first place in a recent study of the world’s most littered tourist attraction, with 1.67% of reviews mentioning rubbish out of a total 13,950 reviews.

The huge cave complex is one of Malaysia’s most iconic tourist destinations and has particular religious significance due to its Hindu temple complex dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu God of war. The limestone caves themselves are more than 400 million years old, while the temple at their heart was built in 1920.

Hindus from all over have come together during festivals to celebrate and pray as a community in the Batu Caves, where magnificently built shrines and statues are strikingly set against a captivating background of limestone hills.

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Unfortunately, several factors have chipped away at the beauty of the unique attraction.

The site’s litter issue has often been attributed to its popularity with milions of annual visitors, many of whom discard rubbish and often feed the resident monkeys. The large size and complex nature of the site also make it difficult to maintain.

Following a recent visit to the Caves, a man from Burnley wrote: “The whole area surrounding the shrine was filthy and covered with litter, discarded food, refuse bins overflowing with plastics etc, used face masks and litter in general.

“If this is a sacred shrine, I find it difficult to understand why those responsible for its upkeep allow it to be abused in this way. Entry to the sacred shrines requires visitors to remove shoes, but having seen the filthy state the floors were surrounding these areas, there was no way my wife nor I would risk doing so.

“I appreciate that the matter was exacerbated by the presence of monkeys at the caves that scavenge for food, but surely those responsible for health and safety should introduce a programme of cleaning throughout the day to ensure all litter etc is removed.”

A holidaymaker from Essex added: “The area is strewn with rubbish and very stinky. It needs a good clean-up.”

Mark Hall, general waste expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk which conducted the study, said: “It is concerning to see so many reviews mentioning litter at iconic tourist attractions around the world. Many of these sites have religious, spiritual, or historic importance, so it’s vital that travellers treat them with respect. Sadly, overtourism is now a huge issue in many countries and this often brings the issue of litter.

“When tourists visit in such vast numbers, it can be difficult for the operators of tourist attractions to manage waste. Therefore, it’s vital that travellers are mindful of the impact of their own waste. You should never litter, and if a bin isn’t available or is full, always take litter home with you to dispose of properly. That way, we can ensure that these sites remain preserved and enjoyable for years to come.”