by Pete Barnett

Thanet's coastline got four nods at a prestigious national awards ceremony - showing why it's ranked as amongst the best in Britain.

In total, four entries from the area made it into the runners-up spot in different categories of the 2011 Coast Magazine Awards.

Botany Bay was named runner-up in a vote of Coast readers for Best British Beach.

The Reading Rooms in Margate took the same spot in the Best Boutique Hotel by the Sea category and Eddie Gilbert's was named runner-up as Best Seaside Restaurant.

The Thanet Coast Project was the final entry to earn a runners-up spot in the Best Green Marine Campaign category.

It was only beaten by the Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch, a nationwide campaign, held annually, with the Surfers Against Sewage Blue Flag campaign joining the Thanet Coast Project as another runner-up.

Tony Child, Thanet Coast Project Manager, said: "It's wonderful news to see Thanet getting so much recognition in this year's Coast Magazine Awards and is a great boost for us, just ahead of the opening of Turner Contemporary.

"It shows just how highly both the magazine's readers and judges rate this area and how much we have to offer visitors.

"I'm particularly proud to see the Thanet Coast Project named in the awards, especially as the campaigns that were up there with us were such high profile national campaigns that most people will have heard of.

"We've achieved a huge amount at the Coast Project over the last ten years, helping to promote our internationally and nationally important coastline and it's wonderful to see that recognised at this level."

To find out more about the Thanet Coast Project and their work, visit their website at www.thanetcoast.org.uk