It’s official – beaches across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are the best in the country.

The area has been awarded 23 Blue Flags and Seaside Awards which is more than any other UK authority.

Earlier this year, according to TripAdvisor’s Travellers Choice awards, Bournemouth beach was ranked among the best 25 beaches in the world and rated as having the fifth best beach in Europe. With these latest accolades Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole continue to boast a combined total of 9 Blue Flags and 14 Seaside Awards.

The Blue Flag beaches are Alum Chine, Branksome Chine, Canford Cliffs, Durley Chine, Fisherman’s Walk, Sandbanks, Shore Road, Southbourne and Manor Steps. On top of this, all nine Blue Flag locations have the added honour of receiving Seaside Awards, as well as the beaches at Bournemouth, Boscombe, Friars Cliff, Avon and Highcliffe.

Cllr Mohan Iyengar, portfolio holder for tourism, leisure and culture, said: “We’re so proud of the number of awards we’ve received so far this year. The team works incredibly hard to care for our beaches and there has been a phenomenal amount of work done behind the scenes to roll out this year’s summer readiness plans. We consider ourselves lucky to be the guardians of such a breath-taking stretch of coastline and it’s great to know that Keep Britain Tidy have given us their stamp of approval.”

With the May bank holidays heralding the start of the season across the resort, BCP Council has already launched its £3.5million seasonal response summer readiness plan – preparing the resort for this summer’s much anticipated bumper summer. Plans include a multi-agency command control centre (MACC) in operation until the end of September, overseeing the seasonal plan’s day and evening operations, responding in real time to issues that arise when the resort experiences an increase in visitor numbers. An additional 75 seafront staff will be on hand to welcome people, keep the beaches clean and safe, and provide a greater security presence and 400 triple-sized bins have been installed along the seafront to deal with waste, with more daily collections taking place.