Mystery donor funds Gyllyngvase Beach Blue Flag bid
A mystery donor has given hundreds of pounds to help a Cornish beach apply for Blue Flag status after council funding was withdrawn.
More than £800 has been given to fund the application for Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth, which was awarded the status from 2003 to 2013.
Blue Flag is a Keep Britain Tidy award for beaches with the highest standards.
Cornwall Council withdrew the funding as part of budget cuts to save nearly £200m between 2015-2019.
'Mark of excellence'
Mark Williams, Falmouth town clerk, said: "We are now in a position to make our own application."
He said the status was important for residents who "take pride in the fact a local beach has this accreditation".
Mark Agnew, manager of Gylly Beach Cafe, said: "I think for tourists it's a mark of excellence, it's a guidance to the water quality and it's something we want to keep."
In 2014, tourism bosses claimed a "slip-up" meant Gyllyngvase - which is Falmouth's largest beach - was one of three Cornwall Council-owned beaches not to get Blue Flags after bids were not submitted because of staffing issues.