KEEP Britain Tidy has awarded three Island beaches their new Seaside Award.

Shanklin, Seagrove and Springvale are three of only 21 beaches in the South East to receive the award for high standards of cleanliness and facilities.

The award will be a mark so those visiting can be sure of a clean, safe beach with great facilities and water quality.

Research from Keep Britain Tidy revealed that more than a quarter of children have never been swimming in the sea in the UK, one third have never been on holiday to the coast and nearly one in five have never set foot on a British beach.

Parents cited concerns about unclean seawater, litter and dog mess as the top reasons they do not take their children to this country's beaches, but said a Seaside Award would give them confidence that a beach is a clean and safe area for their children to play.

The Island missed out on any blue flags this year — an international award that tells the public it's one of the best beaches in the world.

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, as well as qualifying for the Seaside Award.

Allison Odgen-Newton, Keep Britain Tidy's chief executive, said: "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 the South East 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."