BEACHES lining the New Forest have been awarded the highest water quality rating by the Environment Agency.

Calshot Beach and Christchurch Bay, which includes Milford on Sea and Barton on Sea, have both been awarded three stars by inspectors.

Cllr Steve Davies is New Forest District Council's environment and coastal portfolio holder.

He said: "This is great news, not only for our residents who can have complete confidence in the water quality at our beaches, but also for visitors to our area who might want to take a dip.”

The rating, which follows a laboratory analysis of water samples, means the beaches in the New Forest district are rated as excellent.

The council’s coastline duties include keeping the area clean and tidy as well as licensing and managing beach huts.

A council spokesperson said: "NFDC works to reduce the impact on our environment by constantly managing the dynamic and ever-changing coastline.

"The New Forest has around 40 miles of coastline, ranging from sandy beaches to saltmarshes and cliffs.

"Around 90% of it has some form of nature conservation designation aimed at protecting ecologically important species and habitats."

The Environment Agency gauges water quality at designated bathing water sites around the English coastline.

From May to September, weekly assessments measure current water quality, and annual ratings are given based on measurements taken over a period of up to four years.