The data and methodology of a study which deemed a Cumbrian beach to be the dirtiest in the UK has been revealed.

A study commissioned by retailer Cartridge Save found Haverigg Beach to be the worst beach in the UK for highest pollution levels.

The study analysed water quality by examining levels of E. coli bacteria and intestinal enterococci, alongside TripAdvisor visitor reviews for each location.

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The beaches were then ranked based on a 'water cleanliness' score ranging from zero to 10, with 10 representing the best condition.

The beach in Millom was found to be the 'dirtiest' beach in the UK, with a water cleanliness score of just 2.16.

In order to carry out the study, Cartridge Save sponsored a research team from JournaData to gather and analyse the data to ensure it was carried out effectively.

(Image: NQ) A spokesperson for the data team, on behalf of Cartridge Save, said: "The methodology for this study is straightforward.

"It analyzes data for Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci provided by The Environment Agency as of August 5th, along with TripAdvisor data for locations receiving the fewest “Excellent” ratings. 

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"The study assigns a 40% weight to each Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci levels and a 20% weight to the number of TripAdvisor’s least 'Excellent' reviews.

"This weighting determined the final rankings, and the results are based strictly on the data."

The research team said it was important to note the analysis reflected the data as reported by The Environment Agency on August 5.

This is without any independent testing of the bathing water at the mentioned beaches. 

Haverigg Beach at sunsetA spokesperson added: "The analysis simply presents the data as it stands and relies on what citizens have reported about these beaches.

"The numbers speak for themselves, at least for the time we collected the data."

Researchers added the pollution alerts by the Environment Agency predict when there may be a high level of bacteria in the water, which can happen as a result of many factors, most commonly because of sewage discharges or agricultural pollution. 

However, bacteria levels can fluctuate significantly, sometimes within days, which the team observed in The Environment Agency data.

A spokesperson said: "For example, at Haverigg, intestinal enterococci levels were recorded at 760 colonies per 100 ml on August 5th, but dropped to 82 colonies per 100 ml by August 18th. If our rankings had been based on this later data, Haverigg might not have ranked in the top 10.

"The primary purpose of this study was to caution beach-goers against bathing during the specific time-frame we identified.

"However, this does not imply that the beach is permanently ‘dirty,’ and the findings of this study are not evergreen."