Calls have been made to ensure standards of North-east beaches aren’t washed away after a move to abandon the globally-recognised Blue Flag status.

Keep Scotland Beautiful has ditched the prestigious beach quality indicator in favour of a new Scottish Beach Award.

It means Scotland is one of only a few countries in Europe not to be part of the scheme.

Vice-chairman of Aberdeen City Council’s communities, housing and infrastructure committee Jean Morrison warned against letting standards slip.

She said: “I’m disappointed that they are going to stop participating in the Blue Flag scheme.

“If they go for a Scottish award I would hope that it meets the standard of the Blue Flag – we need to maintain to that.”

Criteria for obtaining the globally-recognised status includes excellent bathing water quality, a clean beach and provision of information about coastal zone ecosystems.

Other standards include a need for lifeguards, a supply of portable drinking water and patrols of the area.

Keep Scotland Beautiful said the decision to focus on the Beach Awards was because it better suits the nation’s environment.

A spokeswoman said: “Scotland’s Beach Award offers an efficient and cost-effective method of accurately auditing the local environmental quality of Scotland’s beaches.

“In addition, the award responds to the specific nature of Scotland’s beaches and includes the opportunity for communities to apply for accreditation of their local beach.

“Focusing on local environmental quality, the Beach Award is designed to complement the work currently undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on bathing water quality and the RNLI on beach safety.”

The North-east currently has 10 spots which hold the Beach Award.

These are Montrose, Stonehaven, Aberdeen, Collieston, Balmedie, Cruden Bay, Peterhead Lido, Fraserburgh Waters of Philorth, Fraserburgh Esplanade and Inverboyndie.

Blue Flag judge Dr David Green, of the Aberdeen Institute for Coastal Science and Management, said the move by the environmental organisation could impact tourism.

He said: “People know and recognise the Blue Flag system and it is very rigorous in water quality standards, as well as things like disabled access, things that people value.”