Bathers can take a dip from the Island's beaches in the knowledge that they are among the cleanest in the country.

The Marine Conservation Society has launched its Good Beach Guide 2011 and beaches in Sheppey have risen from a basic pass to the top category - recommended.

Leysdown and Sheerness beaches have earned the highest accolade for water quality and they are joined in the top spot by Minster Leas which was tested for the first time this year.

The beaches are judged by the society as having "excellent bathing water quality" following testing by the Environment Agency, which takes water samples around 20 times from May to September.

In the UK there are now 461 beaches meeting the gold standard, which means water has minimal levels of bacteria.

Other areas in the UK did not fare so well with 46 beaches failing to meet the most basic standards set by European law, which means water contains unacceptable levels of bacteria and viruses.

New standards are set to be introduced in 2015 and beaches falling short of minimum standards may be required to display signs warning people not to enter the water.

Swale council spokesman Mark James said of the accolade: "The fact that water quality at Sheerness, Minster and Leysdown has been given a recommendation, and that the Marine Conservation Society has noted a marked improvement in water quality on the Island from last year, is really pleasing.

"The results published in the Good Beach Guide mean that the water is very safe and that visitors to Sheppey's beaches can rest assured that they can have a great summer of fun on the Island, which is the best possible news for tourism."