A warning has been issued after the parents let of several small children dig a six foot hole on the beach and left it for someone to fall into.

Polzeath Beach Ranger Service said while the children were not to blame and could be proud of their efforts their parents “weren’t thinking straight that day".

The service was alerted by a member of the public to the large hole dug on Polzeath Beach, near Wadebridge, which also had a stepped corridor built into to get to the bottom with the edges towering above.

In a post on Facebook the ranger service said it was lucky the sand didn’t dry out and collapse on top of the children followed by crushing and/or suffocation of the little people building it.

In 2005 a three-year-old girl died on Gwithian Beach after a five foot hole dug in the sand collapsed on top of her.

“We are shocked that the owners of several children (3-4 feet tall) stood by for several hours as they dug this 6ft sand pit,” the ranger service said.

“Well done to the kids for their tenacity and physical endurance in digging a pit deeper than you stand tall! You're not to blame in this scenario.

“Thankfully, the sand didn't dry out, and the walls stayed firm enough for long enough to prevent a collapse followed by crushing and/or suffocation of the little people.

“Just to confirm with us, the parents weren't thinking straight that day, they left without filling the pit in.”

However they said the people who allowed the hole to be dug didn’t even bother to fill it in, leaving it as a danger to other beach goers and the users of a licensed premises situated nearby.

“It's less than 10m from a licensed premises and hidden behind a merch trailer - an area that is cast into shadows from flood lighting after dark,” they said.

“A big thank you to a concerned member of the public for letting us know and filling it in!”

Polzeath Coastguard said: "These collapses are rare but can be lethal if you become trapped in one.

"There’s nothing wrong with digging holes at the beach and filling them with water for your kids to play in.

"But please be aware of the risks of digging larger holes and tunnels when at the beach."

Sand pit rescues are practised and performed by Polzeath Coastguard and Wadebridge Community Fire Station.