DWYFOR and Meirionnydd’s most prestigious beaches have all retained their Blue Flag status.

Eight beaches across Gwynedd have been awarded the international accolade which assures any one visiting them of a “clean, safe beach with great facilities and water quality”.

In Dwyfor and Meirionnydd the beaches which received the award were: Aberdaron; Barmouth/Abermaw; Abersoch; Criccieth/Traeth y Promenade; Morfa Bychan (Black Rock Sands); Pwllheli; and Tywyn.

Dinas Dinlle, near Caernarfon, also retained its Blue Flag.

All the beaches also received the Seaside Award – Keep Britain Tidy’s own award for the beaches that meet the very highest standards for cleanliness and facilities.

Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton, said: “Blue Flag leads the fightback for the Blue Planet.

"Our research shows that nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of parents would prefer to visit beaches with Blue Flag or Seaside Award status, so growing the number of beaches with an award is vital to encourage more families to visit our beautiful coastline.

"Blue Flag and Seaside Awards set the standard for our beaches, including the war against the litter and plastic that does so much damage to our marine environment. Keep Britain Tidy leads the fight to create clean, plastic-free beaches.

"We are committed to creating a great environment on our doorstep for everyone to enjoy and offering a quality mark that shows everyone just how fantastic our beaches can be. It’s brilliant to see so many beaches in Wales and the rest of the country winning Blue Flag and Seaside Award status this year, thanks to dedication and hard work of beach staff and volunteers who work tireless to maintain the high standards.

“Hopefully next year we’ll see an even greater number joining us as we drive up standards across the board.”

Part of the conditions of winning the award, Blue Flag beaches have to run a minimum of five educational activities for the local community and visitors to make people aware of the importance of looking after the natural environment.

However, the news was not so good for some beaches as they lost their titles.

In 2017, five beaches - Harlech, Llandanwg; Porth Neigwl; Fairbourne; and Abererch/Glan Don - picked up The Green Coast Award.

The award recognises ’hidden gem’ beaches which have excellent water quality and unspoiled environment, but unlike a Blue Flag Award beach, these sites will not have the infrastructure and intensive management generally associated with more traditional seaside resorts.

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “Due to increased budgetary pressures, it has been necessary for the Maritime Service to focus on the Blue Flag Awards during 2018.

“We welcome the announcement that a total of eight beaches have been awarded Blue Flag in Gwynedd – the second highest of any local authority area in Wales.

“It is an increasingly difficult situation, where the more we spend on applying for beach awards, the less resource we will have on beach management arrangements.”