Call for visitors to stop picking Rhossili Bay sunflowers

Rhossili Bay is popular over the summer months

The National Trust is reminding the public not to pick sunflowers from a famous beauty spot.

The sunflowers at Rhossili Bay, Gower come into their main bloom in August.

Rosie Jones was visiting the area for the first time on Wednesday, and said she saw people pulling up the plants.

The jeweller, 27, said there were people "walking around with the roots hanging out" with adults encouraging children to pick the nicest flower.

"I just don't understand how people feel they can do that," she said.

• Landowner hands control of 300 acres to teenagers

• Conservation scheme helps wildflower return

The National Trust said that people might think "picking one or two won't make much difference".

But it added: "If the hundreds of visitors who come each day did the same, we'd not only lose the blanket of sunflowers which so many people want to come and see, there'd be no crop left for the birds and bees."

Wildlife-friendly farming, growing sunflowers and arable crops alongside hay meadows and lavender, has resulted in an increase in populations of birds, bees and butterflies in the area, according to the trust.

In September, the sunflowers will be harvested to produce a wild bird food mix.