House-proud pebble-pinchers are denuding world famous beach, Dorset's Chesil Bank, and now wardens have called in the police to halt the surge of pebbles lost from the beach.

The denuding flow of stones is down to people smartening up their gardens after being inspired buy TV home and garden makeover shows but then finding the price of pebbles too expensive to buy.

Penny-pinching gardeners are also uprooting clumps of wild thrift to brighten their rockeries.

One man has been caught coming from as far as Yeovil, some 40kms away, to steal pebbles for a patio.

Wardens catching people usually receive an apology and return the pebbles but others just drive away. When this happens wardens call the police and report the offender's car registration number.

Three times already this year police have caught the offenders and returned the pebbles but many more go undetected and get away with the theft.

Don Moxom, the warden at the Fleet Nature Reserve, said: "What these people are doing is illegal and the removal of pebbles could undermine the Chesil Bank."

With 100 million tonnes of shingle on the beach, most looters probably assume there is more than enough to go round but Chesil Bank has come under severe attack from heavy storms and the coastline's natural defence is already under threat.

The main part of the beach is owned by the Crown Estates and part is owned by the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

Local Crown agent, Rowland Reynolds, said: "We are gravely concerned about the pebbles being taken away and the council have warning signs stating that anyone doing this can be prosecuted."