BOURNEMOUTH has been named as the UK’s most family friendly seaside destination by vacation rental company HomeAway.

The South Coast resort town was included in a shortlist of six seaside holiday destinations, including Scarborough, Conwy and Brighton.

With more than 3,200 members of the British public casting their votes on their favourite British destinations for families, Bournemouth came out on top in the seaside category with 30 per cent of the votes.

Regional Director at HomeAway Karen Mullins said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the support our first Family Friendly Destinations campaign has received from the public and shortlisted communities.

“The impressive volume of votes and positive community feedback shows we are very keen holidaymakers and that we want to spend much desired, quality time on holiday with our loved ones after months of being separated.

“In supporting local tourism and UK communities, we are confident that the Family Holiday Destinations 2020 campaign marks a positive step in this direction.

“It is however essential and more important than ever that we all respect and follow the guidelines outlined by the Government and the NHS to help protect and maintain the safety of our own families and others when travelling, as well as the local communities of these popular destinations.”

The Dorset town was commended by voters for its “clean, sandy beaches” and “friendly and vibrant” feel.

This comes two weeks after BCP Council called a major incident due to the crowded scenes at Bournemouth beach, and reported that over 50 tonnes of rubbish was collected by its seafront rangers on Wednesday June 24 and Thursday June 25.

Sennen Cove in Cornwall came second with 27 per cent of the votes, followed by Torquay with 18 per cent.

The other winning destinations were Keswick, Cumbria in the rural category and Edinburgh, Scotland in the urban category.

The winners were based on six criteria which were considered essential when choosing a holiday destination for a family trip in the UK.