SWIMMERS at beaches in west Dorset can bathe with peace of mind after the water quality received top ratings.

West Bay, Charmouth, Eype, Seatown and Burton Bradstock all received an ‘excellent’ rating, with Lyme Regis being rated ‘good’.

Nearly 98 per cent (97.9) of bathing waters passed tough standards following water testing at 420 bathing spots, carried out by the Environment Agency (EA).

The results show that 92.4 per cent of the beaches and inland lakes tested were given a rating of ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.

Environment Minister Therese Coffey said: “This is great news for anyone who enjoys a trip to the seaside.

“We want everyone to be confident in the quality of our bathing waters and that’s why the Environmental Agency carry out regular tests to protect the health of visitors.

“Britain’s beaches are visited around 130 million times each year, generating over £7billion for the economy.

“Working together we can all keep driving up standards to reduce pollution, ensuring everyone can continue to enjoy our iconic coastline.”

Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the EA, said: “Seaside tourism is worth over £7billion to the economy and good water quality is essential for people to visit and enjoy our beautiful beaches.

“The Environment Agency’s hard work has helped 388 beaches achieve the top excellent or good ratings this year, and at beach cleans throughout the summer, I have seen the commitment of local communities and campaigners to reduce pollution and protect our environment.

“Everyone can take small steps to help us protect water quality as we continue work with water companies, councils and local communities to maintain bathing water standards.”

Throughout the bathing water season from May to September, staff from the Environment Agency take up to 20 samples at each designated bathing spot before being tested in Environment Agency laboratories.

In the early 1990s, just 28 per cent of bathing waters would have met today’s standards, but improvements have been made to water quality over the last two decades, in part due to EA regulation reducing pollution from companies and industry, and the work of local councils and communities.