From the bottom of the sea to the classroom wall, a year's worth of beach debris is being transformed into a summer art exhibition.

Fishing nets, plastic rope, 64 rubber gloves and three lobster pots are among the items collected from the beach near Shoreham Harbour by artist Lou McCurdy.

The 43-year-old is artist-in-residence at Stanford Junior School in Stanford Road, Brighton.

She is working with 90 Year 3 children to create sculptures using the man-made detritus washed up by the sea.

The results will be turned into a show, 'More Plastic Than Plankton', at the Brighton Fishing Museum as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival in May.

One project has involved using the sea debris to make an outline of the British Isles, highlighting the amount of rubbish left in the water.

Mother-of-four Mrs McCurdy is a parent-governor at the school.

She said: "We live by the sea but you don't always feel connected with it.

"The children are really, really conscious of the environment and want to talk about it.

"They ask quite deep questions."

Other tasks have involved children drawing and hanging fishing nets from the walls of the school's art room.

Mrs McCurdy said: "I could not have imagined how well it was going to go. The children have been amazing."

She is now looking for funding to take the project to other coastal towns around the country.

Stanford Junior headteacher Gianni Franceschi said the project has introduced the children to environmental issues as well as forming part of their art education.

He said: "It raises their awareness of what is going on in the wider world."

Mr Franceschi believes such projects, based on input from parents, can become part of the fabric of school life.

Apart from helping create the artwork, the children have learned about the impact of man-made products on marine life.

They are making a ball out of the plastic rope collected from the beach, which can trap and kill marine life.

Mrs McCurdy said: "Plastic bags are the worst things because plastic never degrades."

Her exhibition is going on display at the Brighton Fishing Museum, Kings Road Arches, Brighton from May 9 to May 22.