Ballgirls at East Sussex's world-famous tennis championships have been told not to wear skirts.

They have instead been instructed to wear shorts at the Hastings Direct International Tennis Championships in Devonshire Park, Eastbourne.

It is understood one of the reasons for the changes may be to stop perverts peeking at the teenage ballgirls.

It is the first time the ballgirls have been told to wear shorts in the championship's 26-year history.

During last year's contest, two men armed with video equipment tried to record obscene pictures of children during play.

The men had their tickets taken away and were asked to leave the tournament by officials after being spotted using hand-held video cameras inside Devonshire Park.

The men were understood to be filming children, in particular ballboys and girls.

Members of the public became suspicious and alerted police who patrolled the courts.

Officers took details from the two men and seized their footage.

However, they were not arrested. Police had spoken to several people using video cameras because of people's concerns about their children's welfare.

A championships spokesman refused to say whether the decision to change the uniform was related to last year's incidents.

He said: "One of the areas we look to modernise annually is the uniforms and clothing our staff wear.

"These changes reflect the nature of the tournament and are consistent with other major events around the world. The clothing our ballkids are wearing this year is both comfortable and of a contemporary style.

"In addition to being more practical and functional, their new uniform is smarter, more fashionable and helps project our image as a modern and prestigious tournament."

Last year, ballgirls wore short, pleated, navy blue skirts. They have now been replaced with knee-length blue shorts with the sponsor's logo.

East Sussex county councillor Olive Woodall, who was at the championships yesterday, said: "I noticed the ballgirls were wearing shorts instead of skirts and I thought they looked very neat and well turned out.

"As someone who has played tennis I would think shorts are far more comfortable and practical for bending down and picking up tennis balls."

Sixty girls from Cavendish School in Eldon Road and Moira House Girls' School in Upper Carlisle Road have been training since Easter.

The girls, all aged 14 and 15, are drawn from the same two schools every year and train at Hampden Park and Devonshire Park.

They are taught how to roll balls, give them to players and run on and off court. They also receive posture training so they stand and kneel correctly.

Stars, including Chanda Rubin, Jelena Dokic, Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martinez and Daniela Hantuchova, are among those playing in this year's tournament, which runs until Saturday.

Seventeen of the world's top 30 women players are at Eastbourne as they prepare on grass for Wimbledon next week.

More than 1,000 children, aged four to 12 and from across East Sussex, will attend the Kids Zone event, designed to make tennis more accessible to children.