A COASTAL town in Dorset has been announced as one of the very best in Britain.

Retirement home developer McCarthy Stone commissioned a survey of 2,700 adults in order to find out the most popular seaside towns in the country.

Weymouth placed second with just over 16 per cent of the votes – its enviable beaches and glorious Esplanade seeing it beat out competition from the likes of Whitby and St. Ives.

Weymouth had previously been considered the UK’s best beach in 2017 by TripAdvisor, and once earned the title of the ninth best beach in Europe: this latest accolade goes to show the town is keeping its highly regarded reputation as one of the best.

A spokesperson for McCarthy Stone said: “(Weymouth’s) golden sandy swathe with a shallow sea somehow manages to be unspoilt yet packed with family-friendly amenities like pedal boats, beach cafes and even donkey rides.”

Top of the list was Salcombe, in Devon, which secured 18.5 per cent of the votes – McCarthy Stone say its “pastel-hued, picturesque harbour” saw it just edge out Weymouth for first place.