Pebbly Sussex beach turns sandy after winter storms

People have reacted with delight after a well-known pebble beach in Sussex turned sandy.

Sand was revealed at Birling Gap beach near Eastbourne due to recent winter storms.

Mary Sievwright, who was on the beach with her mother, told BBC Radio Sussex the sand was "beautiful".

"I wish it had been like this when the children were young," she said.

"It would have been great fun when I was a kid because we all had to scramble over pebbles the whole time.

"It was quite hard work.

"Whereas [now] you've got loads of nice places to put your towel down and sit with your family."

The National Trust said the beach was "known for its seasonal changes".

"The action of strong waves during storms and high tides can reveal sandy patches on the beach, which are usually covered by flint pebbles at other times of the year," said the spokesperson.

"This year has seen a higher than usual amount of sand appearing.

"We ask all visitors to take care when heading to the beach, check tide times in advance and to keep well away from the cliff base at all times."

The spokesperson added that the sand was "not a regular occurrence here at Birling Gap" and encouraged people to "enjoy it while you can".

Carlos Park, who was visiting from South Korea, told BBC Radio Sussex he had never experienced such "fantastic scenery before".

"We didn't know much about this place, but when we saw the Seven Sisters and the shape of the cliffs [it was] really exotic [for us]," he said.

"We're quite joyful to watch this scenery."

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