Two young girls cleaned part of a beach, picking up plastic left behind by other families and visitors.

Priya and Vienne Mann, seven and three, were challenged by their mum Avena to fill a plastic bag full of rubbish before they left the beach at Lowestoft yesterday.

Among the items they found were a pair of pants, a sock, padding for a bra, a towel, a bucket and spade, a toy, and a rubber ring float, all of which had been left on the sand.

Miss Mann said: 'I could see a couple of bits of rubbish and there was tonnes of stuff. I said to the girls that if they could fill a bag we will buy you some chips.

'A lovely couple saw what they were doing and gave them each a pound and obviously they were chuffed.

'The litter picker who was walking on the walls said thank you to the girls and said they were doing a great job.'

Shocked by the state of the beach only three hours after they had seen the litter picker go back, Miss Mann appealed to other beach visitors.

She said: 'To see so much litter now as a mum; it is horrible to think that some parents don't teach their kids to pick their litter up.

'Even if they could pick up two things each and take it to the bins that would really help.

'I don't understand why parents would not want a nice area to live in and why they think it is for somebody else to clear up.'

Priya and Vienne were well rewarded for their good work.

Miss Mann said: 'They definitely got their chips and they spent their pound on a slushy.

'They were very proud and to have the people recognise it really helped. I said to them, 'you do a good deed and good things happen to you in return', so it really helped the couple and the litter picker noticing they were doing it.'

• Have you been helping to keep our coast clean or looking for volunteers to help your beach cleaning group? Let us know by emailing conor.matchett@archant.co.uk