Paris beach leaves London in shade

Parisians kicked sand in our faces today as city dwellers flocked to the temporary beach in Paris.

As the French capital put us to shame, the organisers behind the London beach have pledged to build our own strip of golden sand and will enter discussions on a range of possible central London locations.

Communications company O2 wanted to transform a corner of Bermondsey into London's answer to the Copacabana, with sand, an alcohol-free bar, English seaside huts, palm trees, classical music and jazz. But Southwark council said the land - a disused car park - was subject to a planning inquiry and the beach bid failed.

But several possible sites are being considered for next year.

Paul Samuels, head of O2 sponsorship, said: "The beach won't happen this year because summer is here now, but we are 100 per cent committed to the idea for next year.

Mr Samuels said ideas for locations from the public would also be welcome. "I will personally look at every one," he said. "The Paris beach has opened and I went over to meet the organisers. Now our job is to work with the right councils to find a suitable site."

Two miles of roadway along the north bank of the Seine were converted into an artificial beach and holiday resort, complete with parasols, palm trees and sun loungers.

It adds to the London rivalry with Paris, which is said to be the favourite of the International Olympic Committee to host the 2012 Olympics.

Known as the "Paris-plage", it uses 2,000 tonnes of sand and also includes a swimming pool, volleyball courts, a rock-climbing wall and other beach activities. It is now in its third year and opened yesterday until 20 August.

Many Parisians are away at this time of year, but the beach provides a holiday atmosphere for those who stay - and three million sampled it last year. The north bank of the Seine is closed to traffic. It is open from 7am to midnight and is 3.5km long.

Bob Geldof 's company Ten Alps was commissioned to create the beach here. He bemoaned the " constant negativity" in the "greatest city in the world".

Meanwhile, Wayne Bellamy, the station manager of the RNLI Chiswick lifeboat, explained that building a beach alongside the Thames itself is not a viable option. Not only is the river tidal, meaning its waters regularly submerge the areas of mudflat and shingle along its banks, but it could also represent a serious danger to sunseekers.

"The Thames is treacherous, and we actively discourage people from swimming in it," said Mr Bellamy.