AMID soaring temperatures and a weekend of wall-to-wall sunshine, one of Dorset's most-loved beaches has been named as one of the cleanest in the UK. 

With reports of a mini-heatwave hitting our shores this weekend, Dorset can expect to see an influx of visitors. 

However, one beach in the county has been recognised among the cleanest in the UK for both its water clarity and sand hygiene. 

The study, carried out by SaveOnEnergy.com/uk looked at which beaches were the cleanest. 

To do this, they investigated levels of faecal indicators (E. Coli (EC) and Intestinal Enterococci (IE) in the ocean, as tested yearly by the government. They analysed data from 546 beaches around England, Scotland and Wales, giving them a ranking from 0 (dirtiest) to 100 (cleanest).

The cleanest beaches in the UK: 

1. Sharrow, Cornwall - 100

1. Gyllyngvase, Cornwall - 100

2. Silver Bay Rhoscolyn, Isle of Anglesey - 99.5

3. Gwynver, Cornwall - 99.3

3. Fistral South, Cornwall - 99.3

4. Bobby's Bay, Cornwall - 98.6

5. Poole Shore Road Beach, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole - 98.3

The cleanest beaches in England are Sharrow Beach and Gyllyngvase in Cornwall, each scoring a full 50 out of 50 for having the lowest levels of E. Coli and IE, meaning they both finish with a perfect 100 for cleanliness.

The second cleanest British beach, and the cleanest beach in Wales, is Silver Bay Rhoscolyn in the Isle of Anglesey. 

The third cleanest UK beaches are Gwynver Beach and Fistral South Beach, also in Cornwall. They each scored a full 50 out of 50 for the lowest levels of EC, and were just pipped to the post with their levels of IE which scored 49.3 each.

Fourth is Booby’s Bay in England with a cleanliness score of 98.6 and fifth is Poole Shore Road Beach with a cleanliness score of 98.3.