Outfalls pouring sewage on to Scotland's filthiest beach are to be revamped in a multi-million-pound scheme.

Scottish Water yesterday said it would begin 10 separate projects to clean up East Bay, a stretch of Clyde seafront at Helensburgh.

The company will spend £4.5m on the work, which it said would make the beach and bathing waters "significantly cleaner".

East Bay has consistently ranked highly in lists of Scotland's dirtiest beaches and last year claimed the top prize, mostly thanks to sanitary products washed down the Clyde or out of Helensburgh's own antiquated sewers.

Scottish Water warned, however, of traffic and other problems to be brought by the work, which starts next week and will end in late 2009.

The latest work follows an initial £6m project in Helensburgh's west end that sparked widespread protests amid delays and disruption. Scottish Water tried to make peace with the town with a gift of subtropical palm trees.