Holidaymakers are being warned about the state of almost 50 beaches in Spain.
A string of Spanish coastal sites have been hit with a substandard "Black Flag" rating due to chemical spills, sanitation problems and pollution. Popular tourist destinations to be hit with the "Banderas Negras" status include Alicante, the Canary Islands and Barcelona.
Other affected areas include the Basque Country, Malaga and Valencia. Of the 48 beaches named, 12 were due to "discharges, deficiencies in sanitation systems and serious purification problems", with a further six caused by "chemical, light and/or acoustic pollution".
