Beaches in the East awarded Blue Flags for excellence

The beach in Southwold in Suffolk is one of 15 in the East to be awarded a Blue Flag

Fifteen beaches in the East of England have been awarded Blue Flags for their "excellent" quality.

The international award is only given to "well-managed beaches with excellent water quality and environmental education programmes".

Beaches in Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk have met the high standard required for a Blue Flag.

Keep Britain Tidy, which manages the awards, said the beaches were assessed on safety, water quality and waste.

East Beach in Shoeburyness in Essex met the standards for the award

In Essex, the seven beaches awarded Blue Flags were: East Beach Shoeburyness, Shoebury Common, Thorpe Bay, Three Shells Beach, Westcliff Bay, Dovercourt Bay and Brightlingsea.

The six Blue Flag beaches in Norfolk were: Cromer, Sea Palling, Sheringham, Mundesley, East Runton and West Runton,

Southwold beach and Felixstowe South and Pier were the two winners in Suffolk.

Cromer Beach in Norfolk will be flying a Blue Flag this summer

Chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: "People who visit a beach flying a Blue Flag can be assured the beach will be clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards, as well as international bathing water quality standards."

Ms Ogden-Newton said the awards were "testament" to those who had "worked so hard to protect and improve our blue spaces".

"The huge commitment needed to maintain marvellous beaches worthy of these awards cannot be underestimated," she said.