Wales Beach

All countries within the UK saw an increase in the amount of rubbish found on the coastline - except Wales where levels dropped after a record rise the previous year.

The Marine Conservation Society says more than 8,000 plastic bottles were collected on beaches from Orkney to the Channel Islands.

This averaged 160 bottles per mile or 99 bottles per kilometre cleaned.

It's not just our beaches that are doing well. There's also been a big increase in the number of people visiting our golf courses. And that's resulted in a £5million boost to our economy. Nick Hartley reports.

As Wales prepares for Easter our all important tourist industry has received a big boost today. More than a hundred beaches around our coast have been graded as having excellent water quality in an influential annual survey. It's the best result in years. Dean Thomas reports.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Wales Programme Manager, Gill Bell, says she hopes the latest figures on Welsh beach water quality will be a boost to tourism in Wales.

The MCS has recommended 109 out of 152 Welsh beaches tested during last summer as having excellent water quality - that's 11 more than the previous year.

One of Wales' driest summers in recent memory has resulted in more bathing beaches than last year being recommended for their excellent water quality in the annual 'Good Beach Guide' launched online today.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has recommended 109 out of 152 beaches tested during last summer as having excellent water quality - that's 11 more than the previous year.

There was also one less failure than the previous year, with just four beaches tested last summer failing to reach minimum water quality standards.

Two women have been rescued after being cut off by the sea on the coast of Carmarthenshire.

Police, coastguards and the RNLI were called to Cefn Sidan beach just before 5pm yesterday evening.

One woman, said to be in a critical condition, was airlifted by the RAF to Swansea's Morriston Hospital.

The other was taken by ambulance to West Wales General Hospital.

Natural Resources Wales is reassuring visitors to some North Wales beaches that bright orange-coloured water is not pollution.

It says it's a type of seasonal marine algae.

Officers have been testing the water at Penmaenmawr beach and have identified the early signs of an algal bloom.

There are reports Reports that the orange colour is visible at Llandudno and may also be present on other beaches in North Wales.

The Noctiluca marine algae, also known as Sea Sparkle, is common across the Welsh coastline during this time of year, and is a naturally occurring phenomenon.

The orange colour can be even more pronounced at night as it appears to glow in the dark.

The iOS version of a new beaches app will be launched later this morning in Kenfig, with the Android versions also available to download in a few weeks.