Vandals who caused damage to Saffron Walden's man-made beach have been reported to police.

The Beach on the Common opened on Friday, July 26, and is open every day from 10am to 4.30pm until Monday, August 26.

During the first week, there were several incidents of vandalism to the beach infrastructure and break-ins to access the toilet facilities.

A spokesperson for Saffron Walden Town Council said: "This was not all by youths in the town, some by adults who should know better!

"Much of this has been caught on CCTV and reported to Essex Police.

"This sort of damage is not sustainable and the pressure it puts on limited resources in what is a very busy season for SWTC could negatively affect decisions regarding next year’s plans."

Anyone who witnesses vandalism is asked to contact Essex Police on 101.

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Residents are asked to respect the beach's opening times, as when the beach closes each day town council staff rake the sand and clean the area and toilets.

If any children's toys, buckets and spades are found they will be left by the SWTC deckchair within the beach enclosure for collection the following day.

Any higher value items will be taken to the Tourist Information Centre.