Blue flag for super sea water

That was the proud boast made as the prestigious European Blue Flag, recognising the highest standards of hygiene and safety, was raised over the town's promenade for the third year in a row, and the yellow Seaside Flag was hoisted up the pole for the 13th year running.

Arun District Council tourism manager Richard Edwards told guests at the ceremony celebrating the resort's successes that Littlehampton had one of the best five beaches in Sussex and was one of the top 17 in the whole of the south-east.

And council chairman Tony Squires, who is also a former mayor of Littlehampton, was equally pleased with the accolades.

"Now these awards are all on the internet, people do tend to look for beaches with blue flags when they are deciding where to visit," he said.

Mr Squires, Mr Edwards and town mayor David Dyball all praised the efforts made by staff of Arun and the town council who had contributed to the flags being awarded yet again.

And Mr Squires singled out another former Littlehampton mayor, Andy Hawkes, who campaigned long and hard, as leader of the Campaign for Cleaner Seas, for higher standards of sewage treatment, leading to more hygienic bathing waters.

Mr Richards underlined the importance of tourism in Arun, including the 17m spent each year in the district by visitors, which represented 1,200 for every man, woman and child living here.

Both the awards recognise clean, well-managed beaches, which are assessed by strict criteria on beach management, including provision of first aid, clean toilets, absence of dog fouling, access and facilities for disabled visitors and regular sampling of seawater.