88% of the bathing waters in the North West meet the:- 'Sufficient,' 'Good' or 'Excellent' standard

THE Environment Agency has published the 2025 bathing water classifications for 449 designated bathing sites in England. 87% meet standards for:- 'Excellent.' or 'Good' classification, an improvement on 2024, meaning swimmers can benefit from a higher number of better quality bathing sites than last year. 

Overall, 417 bathing waters (93%), were rated:- 'Excellent.' 'Good' or 'Sufficient,' representing a slight rise on 2024. 297 sites achieved an:- 'Excellent' rating this year, compared to 289 in 2024, while 32 sites were classified as:- ''Poor', a decrease on 37 last year.  

Bathing water quality in England has improved dramatically since the 1990s, following decades of regulation, investment and partnership work. 

These results are based on the last 4 years of testing by the Environment Agency which monitors for indicators of pollution known to be associated with risks to bathers' health, specifically E. coli and intestinal enterococci. 

Each bathing water has its own pressures, and many factors can influence bathing water quality including:- storm overflows, agricultural runoff, birds, dogs and other local issues.
 
This announcement, 88% of North West bathing waters have been rated:- Excellent (6, 18%), Good (13, 38%), or Sufficient 11 (32%). However, 4 (12%) failed to meet the minimum required and have been classified as Poor.  

Since 2024 the Environment Agency has been working with partners to improve bathing waters and understand the challenges across the northwest. In West Kirby, for example, a Working Together Agreement has been put in place that brings together the:- Mersey Rivers Trust, Unitied Utilities, the Environment Agency, and Wirral Borough Council to drive improvements.

The agreement has seen the development of proposals for a new DNA testing programme to identify the source of pollution more accurately and help ensure that resource can be targeted where it will have most impact.

Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:- "Bathing water quality in England has improved significantly over recent decades, and this year's results show the continued impact of strong regulation, investment and partnership working. But we know there is more to do, and the new bathing water reforms will strengthen the way these much loved places are managed.  The Environment Agency is working closely with Defra to ensure these changes are implemented effectively whilst our teams continue to work with water companies, farmers, Councils and local groups to tackle all sources of pollution and support continued progress across sites." 

The Environment Agency works closely with local partners at priority sites to tackle all factors influencing water quality. Goring beach in West Sussex is a good example of this partnership working; following EA sampling and information sharing, awareness campaigns by Worthing Borough Council, and Southern Water fixing misconnections, the bathing water has achieved a:- 'Good' classification this year. 

Alongside the annual classifications, the Government's new Bathing Water Regulation reforms came into force on:- 21 November 2025. These reforms are designed to change the:- '1 size fits all' approach and more closely reflect how people use our beaches, lakes and rivers. 

The reforms include:-

• We've ended the old rule that automatically removed a bathing water's status after 5 years of 'Poor' ratings in a row. Now, when a site is struggling regulators will look at the issues affecting the water quality and, where possible, work towards finding realistic options for improving it.  
  

• We're bringing in more flexibility to monitoring dates; so that testing can be adapted to suit individual sites and better match when people actually use the water. 
  

• A 3rd reform, which will look at new criteria for bathing waters, will come into force in May 2026 to allow guidance to be fully developed. 

Water Minister Emma Hardy said:- "Our bathing waters are at the heart of so many communities, and these reforms will help people experience the benefits of our beautiful waters and connect with nature.  By ending automatic de-designation and bringing in more flexibility to when waters are monitored, we're creating a system that reflects how people actually use their local rivers, lakes and beaches. These changes sit alongside our wider action to clean up our waterways so communities across the country can enjoy the places they care about most." 

Defra and the Environment Agency are encouraging people to use Swimfo, the EA's online service providing the latest information on bathing water quality and incidents, helping the public make informed decisions about where and when to swim. 

Merseyside among North West areas linked to 58 charity fraud reports

SPECIALIST insurer warns voluntary sector organisations not to overlook often forgotten security measures, as awareness week approaches.  Charities across the county are being urged to review their fraud prevention measures following latest data showing that 58 charity fraud incidents were recorded across the North West in the past 13 months, 11 of which were reported to Merseyside Police.
 
Data from Action Fraud's Fraud and Cyber Crime Statistics Dashboard shows that these 58 incidents resulted in total losses of £325,000. The figures reflect crimes reported to Police, which may include cases where charities were directly targeted or where members of the public were deceived by fraudsters posing as charitable causes.
 
Ansvar Insurance, which specialises in providing cover to the charity and not for profit sectors, is highlighting the importance of vigilance ahead of:- 'Charity Fraud Awareness Week' which runs from:- 8 December to 12 December 2025. It aims to raise awareness and share good practice across the voluntary sector.
 
Adam Tier, Head of Underwriting at Ansvar, commented:- "These figures represent real money that should have gone towards genuine charitable causes. Whether the victims are charities themselves or members of the public misled by fraudulent fundraising, the impact on trust in the sector is the same. The voluntary sector faces unique vulnerabilities, such as limited resources and high staff turnover, which criminals can exploit. As we approach Charity Fraud Awareness Week, we're encouraging Merseyside organisations to look beyond the basics and strengthen their long term fraud resilience."
 
While most charities are familiar with standard security protocols, Ansvar is drawing attention to 3 often overlooked protective measures that organisations should not neglect:-

1. Review volunteer and staff access rights: People change roles, leave or take on new responsibilities. Regularly reviewing who has access to systems, bank accounts and data helps prevent both accidental and deliberate misuse.
   

2. Validate all supplier or partner changes: Fraudsters will potentially impersonate trusted suppliers. Always confirm any change in bank or contact details by calling a known number, not replying to the email received.
   

3. Audit cloud and shared access permissions: Many non-profits use cloud services for documents and donor data. Conduct a quarterly review of all user accounts and access permissions. Over-permissioned or dormant accounts are common entry points for cyber criminals looking for sensitive data.

Adam Tier added:- "Charity Fraud Awareness Week is an opportunity for every organisation, large or small, to pause and review its controls. Prevention doesn't always mean big Budgets; it's often about simple checks and staying alert to changes that don't feel quite right."
 
To help local organisations assess their vulnerabilities, Ansvar has published a cyber risk management guide on its website.

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