A clean-up expedition to Mount Everest has removed 11 tonnes (11,000 kilos) of rubbish and four dead bodies from the world's highest mountain.

Cleaners spent weeks collecting food wrappings, cans, bottles and empty toxic cylinders, according to the Nepal Tourism Department.

The four bodies were exposed by melting snow and were carried to base camp and then flown to a hospital in Kathmandu for identification.

Some of the rubbish was flown to Kathmandu and handed over to be recycled.