Beach hut owners are being asked to use their imagination when they replace their seaside sheds, after a thought-provoking exhibition at Cromer.More than 3,000 people visited the touring Bathing Beauties display during a month-long stay at the resort in October.

Beach hut owners are being asked to use their imagination when they replace their seaside sheds, after a thought-provoking exhibition at Cromer.

More than 3,000 people visited the touring Bathing Beauties display during a month-long stay at the resort in October.

Now the man behind it, local architect Jim Bond, hopes the 50 models which “re-imagined” the traditional huts will have a real-life spin off.

The futuristic creations included a giant gin and tonic with illuminated lemon slice and a romantic hideaway.

Mr Bond said: “It would be nice to think some of the Cromer beach huts still to be replaced after storms would use some of the ideas - even if it's just adding a first-floor deck.”

It would be good to have four or five along the seafront as had been done in Lincolnshire.

Taking the initiative was down to site owners, but Mr Bond also hoped the district council, which controls the sites and normally only allows standard shed designs, would be a bit more flexible.

The Bathing Beauties exhibition now heads to Montreal in Canada, having drawn 3,289 visitors to Cromer.

Mr Bond hopes to attract other art and design shows to the resort, from the Hub centre in Lincolnshire which is home to the beach huts one. They include shows focusing on guitars and denim.

But it would need stronger backing from sponsors, such as the town council, which had decided against supporting the beach huts venture.