IT may be raining now but sunseekers flocking to Bournemouth for the recent heat wave led to the town being crowned the most popular beach resort destination in the UK for July.

Online travel giant Expedia has released data which shows a 119 per cent increase in Bournemouth bookings over the last month.

Beating holiday hot-spots Blackpool, Brighton, Torquay and Cardiff, sunny Bournemouth has come out as the top choice for families wishing to stay in the UK.

But those opting for south coast sunshine have been warned that the cost of family holidays in Bournemouth is accelerating at a rate above many overseas resorts.

The Post Office said Bournemouth rivalled Nice in France and Sorrento in Italy as one the most expensive family holiday resorts in Europe.

A typical basket of a dozen summer holiday purchases ranging from an inflatable lilo to a family meal costs £139.28 in Bournemouth, up 11.8 per cent from 2012.

The price of a bucket and spade in the seaside town is £4.55, the most expensive across Europe and up 40 per cent on a year ago.

Cabinet Member for Tourism, Leisure & Culture, Councillor Lawrence Williams said: “I am absolutely delighted that Bournemouth has been named the most popular resort in the UK, it reflects very strongly on all the staff who work here.

“I thought the prices have remained fairly stable, as I regularly meet with hoteliers and there have been no murmurings about price increases.”

On one of the hottest recorded days of the year, Bournemouth had an estimated 120,000 visitors, who bought 40,000 ice-creams.

Louise Campbell, visiting from Leeds said: “I cannot believe how expensive everything is here, from hotels and beach games to sun cream, we have spent an absolute fortune.”