Blackpool North beach is one of the beaches in England set to fail tough new EU cleanliness standards. Photograph: CHRISTOPHER THOMOND/CHRISTOPHER THOMOND

One in 20 English beaches which currently pass standards for cleanliness will fail tougher tests which come in next year, figures show.

Almost all beaches (99.5%) in England meet the basic standards for clean bathing water, with just two spots failing to reach the mandatory grade this year: Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach, Dorset, and Staithes, North Yorkshire.

But under tougher European standards which come into force next year, 5% of those beaches which are currently reaching the mandatory standards will be classed as poor, reducing the number achieving the required level of cleanliness to 94.5%.

More than 20 beaches are projected not to make the grade, including Blackpool North and Blackpool Central, Lancashire and Seaton and East Looe in Cornwall.

The bathing water statistics from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) showed the number of beaches which reached mandatory levels for cleanliness increased from 98.8% in 2013 to 99.5% this year in England.

In Wales all beaches tested met the mandatory level of cleanliness, in Scotland 97.5% passed bathing water tests and 95.7% of beaches in Northern Ireland made the grade.

The figures also showed that the proportion of beaches reaching existing higher guideline standards of cleanliness fell slightly in 2014.

In England, 80.7% of beaches meet the higher grade, a slight drop on 83.5% in 2013. In Wales 88.1% of bathing spots achieved the higher standards, as did 55.6% in Scotland and 69.6% in Northern Ireland - where it fell from 87% the previous year.

Water minister Dan Rogerson said: Water quality is improving and has now reached a record high, which means families across the country can make the most of what nature has to offer.

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One in 20 English beaches will fail new EU cleanliness tests