Sandown is the Isle of Wight's Blue Flag beach for 2023, environmental charity, Keep Britain Tidy, has announced today (Tuesday).

The 2023 Seaside Awards have also been unveiled, with Sandown, Seagrove and Springvale, which is a non-bathing beach, all receiving one.

Across the region, 14 beaches have been awarded a Blue Flag, while 24 have a Seaside Award.

Sandown is one of only seven places to get both.

Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said they mean visitors are assured the beach is clean and safe, and meets the highest environmental standards, as well as international bathing water quality standards.

Both schemes are aimed at improving the quality of England’s coastline and promoting the country’s best beaches. 

The Blue Flag is an international award, managed by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education.

Former Sandown Mayor, Paddy Lightfoot, said: "The Blue Flag reflects the investment Sandown has made to provide beach lifeguards, buoys in The Bay, a new public toilet at Eastern Gardens and in working with Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat.
"This is very much a team effort."