Lego has said it will introduce parts to its collection made from sugar cane, admitting it needs to do more to join the fight against plastic waste.

A new range of "sustainable" parts including leaves, bushes and trees made from sugar cane are currently in production, and will hit toy shop shelves later this year.

At present Lego's famous bricks are made from ABS plastic which is made from crude oil, however the firm has committed to making them sustainable by 2030.

It comes after reports that Lego pieces are regularly washing up on beaches along the South coast from Cornwall to Brighton, spoiling the scenery.

It is thought that the phenomenon is due to nearly 4.8 million Lego toy parts falling overboard from a container ship in a storm off Land's End in 1997.