Teenagers who 'cause a right old mess' at a Dawlish beauty spot are being urged to clear up after themselves – and stop causing damage.

Local residents have long been tidying up after the late evening drinking sessions at the Seven Sisters, but now Dawlish police are getting involved.

Officers have been sent photos of a large burnt patch of grass where a fire was lit, and a gate left wide open leading to a field used for grazing cows.

Broken glass has also been left on the ground, posing a danger to dogs out on walks with their owners.

Local resident Tim Goslin walks his dog regularly at the Seven Sisters.

He said: "There's a number of benches up there and they drink, smoke weed and generally cause a right old mess.

"If people do that, so be it, as long as they clean up after themselves. But they think the 'rubbish fairies' will do it for them.

"The worry is that as summer comes and it dries out, if they have fires up there it could get out of control and something reasonably minor becomes something major."

He said he had also been very concerned to see the gate into the cattle field left wide open when he arrived at 6am on April 6 to walk his dog.

"Luckily the cattle were at the bottom of the field and hadn't figured out that the gate was open.

"But that's just totally disrespectful, that's over-stepping the mark, really.

"Also, a lot of people walk their dogs up there and people have had their dogs' paws cut with broken glass and tins and things up there, and I think it's unacceptable. We all want a bit of freedom but you don't want to start ruining things, do you?"