AN INQUIRY has been launched into how some of North Yorkshire's finest beaches were "downgraded" - by mistake.

The beaches at Scarborough, Whitby and Filey were all Grade A winners for cleanliness, when the latest prestigious blue and yellow flags for standards were announced on Thursday.

But awards organisers Environ-mental Campaigns (ENCAMS) wrongly stated in their information to the media that the three towns had received Grade B standards for their beaches.

Beaches around the country were graded on an A to D scale - A standing for "superbly managed".

Peter Gibson, spokesman for ENCAMS, said: "In the information ENCAMS gave to the media on Thursday on the grades for resort beaches, we incorrectly stated that Scarborough North and South Bay, Filey and Whitby, were granted Grade Bs - when this should have read Grade A. A full inquiry has now been launched into how this mistake occurred. It is the first time in the nine-year history of the seaside awards that such an inaccuracy has occurred.

"ENCAMS sincerely apologises to the local authorities and indeed to the residents of the towns concerned who have worked so hard to ensure that the facilities at these beaches are among the finest in the UK."

Mike Wilkinson, head of marketing and development with Scarborough Borough Council, said: "All we are interested in is making sure that the message goes out loud and clear that the beaches at Scarborough, Whitby and Filey are all Grade A.

The story about the coastal standards, including the inaccurate grades for the North Yorkshire beaches, appeared in Thursday's Evening Press.

Updated: 10:37 Saturday, March 16, 2002