An innovative attempt to deter pigeons from a popular beach using thousands of scented yellow stickers was deemed a success after it avoided being blacklisted under new EU water bathing regulations.
Teignmouth beach in Devon was among 13 beaches which had been expected to fail tough new tests for cleanliness but which managed to make dramatic improvements in order to make the grade.
Twelve beaches failed to meet the new standards, meaning that they must put up signs before the swimming season begins next May advising tourists to stay out of the water.
The move could have serious ramifications for local business and tourism in those much-loved spots, which include Clacton in Essex, East Looe in Cornwall, Walpole Bay in Margate, Kent and Wildersmouth in Ilfracombe, North Devon.
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The new EU bathing water regulations raise the "pass mark" for beaches around Europe.
They judge water quality on a four-year average, meaning that 25 beaches identified as ‘at risk’ earlier this year due to poor results in previous years were given the chance to make last-ditch improvements to turn things around.
Among them was Teignmouth, where guano from hundreds of pigeons roosting beneath its pier had become one of the major sources of pollution.