Beach users have been warned to take their rubbish home with them or risk harming children or the environment.

During a clean-up last weekend, a group of 66 volunteers collected 66kg (10st) worth of litter from the stretch of beach from the Grosvenor Casino to the Britannia Pier.

Among the discarded items which the group found in a two hour sweep were used syringes, broken glass and a dead seabird caught in netting.

The event was organised by Trevor Saunders, the events and entertainment manager at the Grosvenor Casino as part of The Marine Conservation Society Great British Beach Clean Weekend.

Mr Saunders, 50, said: 'Every year the litter is not getting any better. Even with 66 people it is never ending. The message is to take your rubbish home with you.'

Despite the hard work, volunteers, including TV biologist Ben Garrod, enjoyed themselves Mr Saunders said.

'It was really tiring but at least the weather was good.'

Mr Saunders has been organising the event for three years and said this year's event was the best yet, four times bigger than the last, and he hopes to sign up 100 people to help at the next one.

A childhood beach trip to Sea Palling where Mr Saunders cut his foot on discarded glass left him needing 12 stitches.

It was this experience and wanting to give something back to the town.

He added: 'I saw a family with young children walking on the beach with no shoes on. I said after what we had found, I wouldn't advise it.'