Whitley Bay named 2nd most Instagram perfect beach in the UK

North Tyneside's Whitley Bay has been named as the UK's second most Instagram perfect beach.

The two miles of golden sand in the North East is much loved by locals for its friendly surroundings and tasty seafront eats.

Earlier this year Whitley Bay was praised by The Telegraph for being one of the UK's best seaside towns "that doesn't get depressing in winter", being commended for its links to Newcastle and average house price.

Now the town has been awarded another accolade, not for its atmosphere, transport or price, but for its appearance.

Research by Dune London looked into the country's most 'Instagrammable' beaches where people can soak up the sun during the heatwave - with suitable suncream and health preventions, of course.

As well as the long beach, St Mary's Lighthouse and Spanish City provide the perfect chance for social media-conscious visitors to boast about being at the location.

Brighton Beach romped to victory with over 950,000 hashtags on Instagram and Whitley Bay represented the North East by placing second.

The beach has recorded 276,605 tags on the popular social media app, more than third-placed Palm Bay in Kent, fourth-placed Bournemouth Beach and fifth-placed Scarbrough Beach.

Tyneside's seaside hotspots have been busier than usual in recent days as the region basks in record-breaking temperatures.

The previous city record of 32.5 degrees, set in 1990, was eclipsed on Monday night with heat reaching 33, and the mercury is expected to climb even higher on Tuesday afternoon.

An amber weather warning is in place from The Met Office, meaning a potential risk to health in the extreme heat and the public are being advised to behave sensibly in the high temperatures.