A stretch of coast dubbed 'Norfolk's most noxious beach' has had a turn of fortune after officials ruled the water quality was no longer "poor".
Environment Agency testing has rated Heacham's waters as "sufficient," which means swimmers will no longer be warned against entering.
The new designation is a welcome boost for the village, which has been plagued with problems for several years after testing in 2021 found it had unsafe levels of bacteria for bathers.
Officials spent several years investigating the cause of the poor water quality, with DNA evidence suggesting the main culprit was sea birds while there were also concerns locally that sewage could be to blame.
While it is no longer considered poor, it remains the lowest-rated beach in Norfolk.
Nearby Hunstanton and Old Hunstanton have also recorded improvements and are both now rated good, with the majority of tests this year being recorded as "excellent".
Overall, the Environment Agency ratings have been positive for Norfolk. Across north Norfolk, the beaches have been rated as "excellent".
The decision is particularly positive for Mundesley, Sea Palling and East Runton, which had lost blue flag status in 2023 due to a decline in water quality.
People walking along Caister beach on the east coast of Norfolk. (Image: Newsquest)
Beaches in the Great Yarmouth area, including the town itself, Gorleston, Hemsby and Caister, are all rated excellent. Lowestoft has been rated 'good' and Southwold 'excellent'.
West Norfolk councillors have welcomed the EA's new designation, having been keen to change its reputation as being Norfolk's most noxious beach, which they say had affected local businesses reliant on tourism.
Independent councillor Sandra Squire (Image: Norfolk Independent Group)
Sandra Squire, cabinet member for environment, praised the new designation in a report to councillors.
She said: "I'm sure you will all be as pleased as I am that we will finally lose our brown flag award for Heacham.
"While we have a very unique geography, wildlife and tidal processes in the Wash, which will limit the level of improvement we can see in the future, by working together with our partners, looking at the data and science, improvements have been made and water quality has improved.
"A celebratory dip will be arranged in the near future."