There’s nothing more I enjoy than a walk along our beautiful Suffolk beaches.

As the weather gets warmer, there really is nowhere better on earth – whether it’s the glorious, wide sandy beaches of Lowestoft or the equally picturesque shingle of Kessingland or Aldeburgh.

For many, they have been a godsend in lockdown and offer the perfect place to unwind and get away from endless hours indoors or in front of a screen. They have truly been a respite.

So why do some childish people choose to deface them with obscene drawings in the sand?

The ones which I saw of male and female private parts while trying to enjoy walks along Lowestoft’s South Beach this week must’ve taken some balls to create, pardon the pun.

They were certainly not small. They must’ve taken several minutes to draw and attracted a few perplexed glances from passers-by while they were, er, created.

Yet, on a warm, sunny day with the tide not coming in for several hours, the drawings remained for several hours for all – including children – to see.

Of course, you might think I’m making a bit of a fuss about nothing. Sure, it’s hardly tasteful but it’s just some rogue idiots mucking about.

Anything you draw on a beach will inevitably be washed away a little while later, so it doesn’t have the permanent impact of daubing graffiti on a building. Why not just roll your eyes and walk on by?

Well, usually I would. But when you see three or four similar drawings within a matter of days, even someone as forgiving as me gets a little irritated.

Sure, it is not as long-lasting as graffiti but it is defacing one of our most beautiful and natural assets nonetheless.

We’re lucky to have such attractive beaches. They are a privilege not everyone in our country has the luxury to enjoy. To treat them in this way shows a lack of respect and appreciation for our historic natural habitat.

As with graffiti, arguably there’s very little you can do. Even if you did catch someone, you can hardly punish people for drawing lines in the sand.

All I hope is that the more people realise that the coast we have is precious, the more people will look after and treasure it, rather than deface it.