BOURNEMOUTH Borough Council has been named as the first ever Beach Hut Local Authority of the Year.

Towergate Insurance wanted to recognise local support for the beach hut community which is why the category was included in the 2016 search for Britain’s best beach hut.

The winner of Towergate’s Beach Hut of the Year was ‘My Happy Hut’ located in Harwich in Essex - although 'Serenity-on-Sea' which is located at Durley Chine in Bournemouth made the top 10 list.

The search was then on for a local authority that clearly demonstrates its support for the beach hut community and do all they can to help protect and promote the beautiful, colourful huts decorating the British coastline.

As the first British beach to house public huts, Bournemouth Borough Council has a rich beach hut heritage, which it continues to build upon through its commendable efforts to build a vibrant seaside community.

Home to award-winning beaches visited by over five million tourists each year, the council’s 2,000 beach hut plots – which include Britain’s first ever public beach hut – are both an intrinsic and much loved part of the coastal community and a major tourist attraction.

Cllr Lawrence Williams, portfolio holder for tourism, leisure and the arts, said: "I am delighted that the council has received such an award this year.

"Our seafront staff work relentlessly to keep the beaches of Bournemouth, what we regard as possibly the towns greatest asset, clean and pleasant for everyone to use.

"I am particularly proud of our beach huts, which include accessible huts and beach pods, which all add to the seaside experience of our town."

A £500 prize was awarded to the council and it will be used to fund an art project benefitting the seaside community.

Adam Summersby from Towergate said: “Bournemouth Borough Council really stood out for us. It makes the most of its rich beach hut history to ensure that Bournemouth’s beach huts remain an iconic and well-loved feature of the community today.

"We were particularly impressed by its commitment to providing Liz and Martin Baum, owners of this year’s Beach Hut of the Year finalist, Serenity-on-Sea, a suitable plot due to Martin’s multiple sclerosis.”