NORTH WEST beaches, including Blackpool's, are set to get a £3 million bathing boost from Europe.

The money, from the European Union, will help fund work to give a better understanding of the factors that contribute to bathing water quality.

The Improved Coastal and Recreational Waters (ICRW) project is led by the Environment Agency, with a number of partners, including Blackpool Borough Council.

Cllr Sue Wright, Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing in Blackpool said: "Securing this funding is excellent news and will allow the Environment Agency, along with our partners, to continue work to reduce pollution and improve the quality of recreational waters.

"Bathing water quality in the North West has come a long way in recent years, but there is a lot of work still to do. This project is vital in helping our understanding of what affects our bathing waters, so we can continue to improve them along the coast around Blackpool.