What are the health risks for swimmers on Britain's beaches?

The fresh warnings about the condition of some of Britain's beaches has raised fresh concerns about the health risks associated with taking a dip in dirtier waters.

The Marine Conservation Society's Good Beach Guide revealed that 42 British beaches last year failed to meet minimum EU levels for bathing water - a rise of 17 beaches from 2011's figures.

Only 403 of the UK's 754 beaches (53 per cent) were given the top 'recommended' award for water quality last year - 113 fewer beaches than the previous guide.

Some of the beaches which did not meet water quality levels included those at family-friendly resorts like Bude in Cornwall and Blackpool.

The Marine Conservation Society identified 42 beaches with water which did not meet mandatory bathing standards - you can see where they are on the map above.

The downgraded figures have been blamed on last year's washout summer, which caused all manner of water problems nationwide.

The rain and flooding led to an increase in bacteria and viruses in bathing water, coming from a variety of sources such as agricultural and urban run-off, storm waters, plumbing misconnections, septic tanks and dog waste.

All this means that swimmers and bathers are at increased risk of illness if they take a dip off one of Britain's more-polluted beaches.

Bathers are at risk of ear, nose and throat infections and even gastroenteritis, the Marine Conservation Society said.

Swimmers can be exposed to pathogens, which can enter the ears, eyes, mouth and nose.

Skin is also exposed to infection through swimming near polluted waters.

The health consequences include urinary tract infections, flu-like illnesses, dermatitis, sinusitis and deep tissue or blood infections through open wounds.

The risk of virus-causing pathogens entering the body varies between individuals, but the elderly, children, and those with weak immune systems are most at risk.

Experts say those without prior immunity may also be at higher risk than the local population.

Swimmers are advised to bathe away from urban areas and near open waters, and to avoid swimming in the days after heavy rains.

The MSC have also urged water companies and councils to understand their contribution, and to keep the public informed.

The conservation organisation said there was an urgent need for improved monitoring of overflow pipes which can discharge raw sewage into rivers and the sea from sewer networks when heavy rain overloads the system with water from street drains.

And action was needed to reduce pollution from farms and urban areas, ahead of tougher EU rules on water quality coming in from 2015.

MCS coastal pollution officer Rachel Wyatt said: "We have recommended fewer beaches in every English region and in Wales and Scotland. In England, the north west and south west were particularly badly hit with the fewest number of recommended beaches for at least a decade.

"Action must be taken now. With stricter bathing water standards from 2015 and summers that appear to be getting wetter, the iconic image of people bathing off golden beaches could be at serious risk.

"There is no simple solution to sewage and animal waste reaching our seas. However if the water industry, communities and local authorities recognise that there is a problem and begin to work together to find answers that would be a significant start."

The MCS said there were some promising local partnerships working together to identify problems and start trying to fix them, but in too many places there was an "out of sight, out of mind mentality" over water pollution.

The situation is a turn around from last year, when a record number of beaches were given the top "recommended" award for their water quality.

The South West saw a number of its previously recommended beaches fail last year, including Plymouth Hoe East and West, Shaldon and Exmouth in Devon, East Looe and Bude Summerleaze in Cornwall and Charmouth West in Dorset.

In the North West, just three beaches are recommended for excellent water quality in the new guide, with popular beaches at Blackpool North and South failing to meet even the basic mandatory standards.

But Blackpool central and nearby St Anne's and St Anne's North beaches improved their water quality to reach the mandatory standard last year.

The list below shows all 42 of the UK beaches which failed the Marine Conservation Society's Good Beach Guide mandatory bathing water standards test:

Exmouth, Devon

Budleigh Salterton, Devon

Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach, Dorset

Charmouth West, Dorset

Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset

Bridlington South Cliff Beach, East Riding of Yorkshire

Sandsend, North Yorkshire

Staithes, North Yorkshire

Saltburn, Redcar and Cleveland

Seaton Carew North, Durham

Seaham Beach, Durham

Seaton Sluice, Northumberland

Spittal, Northumberland

Allonby South, Cumbria

Walney West Shore, Cumbria

Walney Biggar Bank, Cumbria

Cleveleys, Lancashire

Blackpool North, Lancashire

Blackpool South, Lancashire

Rhyl, Denbighshire

Llandudno West Shore, Conwy

Criccieth, Gwynedd

Pwllgwaelod, Pembrokeshire

Ogmore Slip ,Vale of Glamorgan

Lower Largo, Fife

Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire

Greenan, South Ayrshire

Heads of Ayr, South Ayrshire

Newcastle Co. Down, Down

Garwick, Isle of Man

Peel, Isle of Man