North’s blue-flag beaches at risk of being downgraded

The North's eight blue-flag beaches could all be downgraded within a year unless cash is found to pay for a beach officer.

The beaches will be automatically declassified unless an officer is hired to monitor standards at a cost of around £30,000 (€44,400) a year.

The Tidy Northern Ireland organisation has accused the British government of withdrawing the funding needed to fill the post.

The group says it has approached several potential sources of new funding, including the National Trust and the 11 councils whose areas contain coastal beaches, but the cash has not been forthcoming.