A garden ornament was literally ditched - and is now a gnome without a home - after being discovered during a village litter pick. 

The abandoned statue, traditionally a symbol of good luck, had been left to gather mud at the side of the road in Rumburgh, a village between Bungay and Halesworth, before it was finally found over the weekend. 

The clean-up was organised by Rumburgh Parish Council and took place over Saturday, October 14, and Sunday, October 15.

Over the two days, residents collected rubbish and took it to the village hall. 

As well as the gnome, eight bags of rubbish were collected during the Rumburgh Community Litter Pick Weekend event - which was the lowest amount collected during a clean up.

Winky Evans, parish councillor, said that a villager brought a garden gnome he had found in a ditch in the village.

Eastern Daily Press: A garden gnome was found in ditch in Rumburgh during an annual litter picking event. A garden gnome was found in ditch in Rumburgh during an annual litter picking event. (Image: Rumburgh Parish Council)

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"His blue eyes were still sparkling but his tummy was somewhat missing and he was obviously ‘of an age’," she said. 

"He's going to the tip, unfortunately."

The gnome, she meant, not the man who found it. 

Ms Evans, who organised the event with Julie Williams, added: "We were quite pleased with how little litter there was this year, only eight bags, a record for us.

"Then up comes the gnome. I felt sorry for him."

Free tea, coffee and cakes were provided in the village hall by the parish council as a thank you to the litter pickers, who were all provided equipment over the weekend to help keep their community clean.

To report fly-tipping in the East Suffolk area visit www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/waste/fly-tipping/