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".
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Spanish environmental campaign group Ecologists in Action has hit out at local authorities for not protecting the coastal locations from "ecological attacks", reports the Liverpool Echo. You can find a full list of the beaches here.
Earlier this year, tourists were warned smoking has now been banned on 28 Spanish beaches in a tourist crackdown. There has been a huge increase in "smoke-free zones" as part of a major plan by the Balearic Islands to improve people's health and slash the problem of cigarette butts being left on the sand.
There are no fines for those who are caught lighting up as the people behind the scheme are hoping to appeal to members of the public's sense of responsibility.
