THREE beaches in Dwyfor Meirionnydd have been named in a list of the top 50 best beaches in the UK, with one appearing in the top 20.

The list was compiled through a survey carried out by WWF UK in partnership with Sky ocean rescue.

Barmouth beach ranked highest out of the region’s beaches, coming in at number 17 in the list.

Borth-y-Gest beach in Porthmadog came in at number 42 and Portmeirion beach was named at number 44.

The number one beach overall was Bournemouth beach in Dorset and the highest ranking Welsh beach, Tenby, came in at number eight.

Aberystwyth beach also made the list at number 21.

Sarah Young, head of marine policy at WWF-UK said: “While we wait for travel restrictions to be lifted, there are a number of things we can be doing at home to protect our beautiful coastlines and ensure staycations can be enjoyed for years to come.

"Over the months ahead, Sky Ocean Rescue and WWF will be setting out the actions that we can take as individuals to become ocean heroes, while also encouraging stronger leadership from the UK Government to support vital ocean recovery that’s so urgently needed."