"Smiley" system for bathing water

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 21st Oct 2003

The European Parliament has voted to update and improve popular EU legislation on the quality of bathing water. With a new 'smiley' symbol, this will give better information to people swimming or doing watersports.

The new symbols will indicate if the water at a particular beach has tested free from chemical and biological hazards and therefore meets EU health standards.

Liberal Democrat MEP for London Baroness Sarah Ludford commented:

"The easily recognisable 'smiley' will be a boon for London holidaymakers visiting not only British beaches but those in other EU countries like Spain, Italy or Greece. We'll be able to swim in the sea with confidence - even if we don't speak the language!"

"Whereas in the old law the information on water quality related to last year, now bathers will get information on present conditions. Also, within a week of becoming available, test results must be posted on the internet."

"Local councils will compete to show that their beaches are cleaner than those of their rivals - this has got to be good for us tourists."