Boys digging on beach discover baby's body buried in sand

Two young children digging on a beach near Sydney in Australia have found the body of a baby buried a foot under the sand.

The six- and seven-year-old boys, who found the body on South Maroubra Beach, told their father, who contacted police.

News South Wales police said the "very small infant child" was buried naked near the edge of some sand dunes.

Police said it was not clear how long the body had been there, nor what age the baby was.

A post mortem will take place later today to determine how the baby died.

In a separate incident last Sunday, a newborn baby was found crying at the bottom of a roadside drain in Sydney by passing cyclists, with police saying he had been in the 2.5-metre deep drain since Tuesday.

The baby's mother remains in custody after she was charged with attempted murder, with the case due to return to court on December 12.