A new 'litter bond' is to be introduced by organisers of a popular festival after a backlash from local residents over piles of litter and abandoned tents.

Eastern Daily Press: Crowds enjoying the Saturday of Sundown Festival 2019 at the Royal Norfolk Showground. Picture: Danielle BoodenCrowds enjoying the Saturday of Sundown Festival 2019 at the Royal Norfolk Showground. Picture: Danielle Booden (Image: Archant 2019)

On Monday evening, after Sundown Festival-goers had vacated the Norfolk Sowground campsites at midday, pictures emerged showing heaps of rubbish that had been left.

The festival welcomed over 20,000 people each day, which was the highest in its eight year history, as music fans enjoyed performances from acts including Anne-Marie, Tinie Tempah and Example.

READ MORE: 'Absolutely disgusting' - Shock after Sundown Festival-goers leave Showground piled with rubbish

Reacting to the rubbish, the organisers said that, despite the increased number of campers, the amount of tents that had been left behind had been reduced by 30pc since 2018 due to messages about waste broadcasted both before and during the event.

However, they vowed to do more and as tickets went on sale for 2020 on Thursday, with the event set to run from September 4 to 6, they announced a new £5 litter bond.

The early-bird weekend camping tickets cost £126 next year and in the description it says: "Ticket price includes a £5 refundable litter bond.

READ MORE: 'It's disgusting': Rubbish still strewn on ground three days after Sundown Festival "Collect a full bag of litter in one of the bags provided on site and take it to the litter drop off point to get your £5 back in cash."

A spokesman for Sundown Festival said: "The litter bond announced today is the next step in a series of measures encouraging our audience to consider their impact on both the local and wider environments whilst enjoying the Sundown experience.

"We are determined to play our part in tackling a throwaway culture which can be particularly evident on festival sites and we regularly share knowledge and ideas with other event teams as we strive to combat this.

"This year our festival goers helped us to reduce the number of left-behind tents by around 30pc and we believe the new litter bond will remind them of the significant difference they can make by clearing their little bit of the site when they leave."