Diggers moved in to crush giant sandcastles at the end of a festival.

The towering Egyptian monuments had been enjoyed by almost 200,000 people during the World Sand Sculpture Festival at Black Rock, Brighton.

Organisers said it would take five days to destroy the display, which included a 50ft temple, mummies and a recreation of Tutankhamun's tomb.

Visitors flocked to see the show, consuming about 75,000 drinks and 100,000 ice creams during the summer.

An estimated 10,000 tonnes of imported sand was used to create the one-off sculptures made by a collection of international artists.

Huib Joor, 32, operations manager, said: "We enjoyed being here because the city is artistic and would like Brighton to become the place which is not only famous for a pier but also its sand sculptures."