HIPPO-notisingly gorgeous beasts are appearing all over North Walsham as the town's special spring festival draws nearer.Schools and organisations are beginning to decorate their model hippopotamuses ready to take part in the Hippo Hunt planned for the last week in May.

HIPPO-notisingly gorgeous beasts are appearing all over North Walsham as the town's special spring festival draws nearer.

Schools and organisations are beginning to decorate their model hippopotamuses ready to take part in the Hippo Hunt planned for the last week in May.

Art students at Paston College have been helping six and seven-year-old pupils at the town's infant and nursery school, incorporating the children's designs onto a Norwich City Football Club hippo, and another painted with rural scenes.

The Canary beast is off to the club's Carrow Road home shortly to be signed by all the team before he takes up position during the hunt at North Walsham's Rossi's leisure centre.

A trail leaflet will guide safari-goers to 50 decorated hippos dotted around the town at locations including shops and businesses, the fire station, Paston Surgery, library, motorcycle museum and with some local artists as part of the annual Norfolk Open Studios event.

They'll herd together for a finale auction on May 31 at the town's Divine Bar and Restaurant with 25pc of proceeds going to the Born Free Foundation international wildlife charity, and the rest to local causes.

Clare Fletcher, head of the infant school and nursery, said the town was getting more and more hyped about hippos.

'People are realising that it's really going to happen and over the last month we've had a lot more interest from people wanting to get involved,' she said.

�For more information visit www.hippohunt.co.uk