A GIANT pizza cleverly sculpted out of sand was created on Sandbanks Beach by internationally-celebrated sand artists Paul and Remy Hoggard.

The pair spent eight hours on Saturday creating the three metre wide pizza, complete with replica toppings of onion and chicken, to the amazement of beach goers who saw it shaped before their eyes.

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Its creators, who travel the world creating stunning, and sometimes vast, sculptures out of sand. Their previous works, which have appeared at theme parks, festivals, art galleries and beaches around the globe, have included giant-scale animals, buildings, and people - including a sculpture of the Queen. But they have never created a food sculpture before.

The pizza was commissioned by Pizza Hut to celebrate the revamp of the Tower Park branch following a £400,000 investment by the chain. The restaurant is set reopen on Wednesday.

Helen Toone from Pizza Hut said: "There have been lots of families and children wanting to know what's been going on - it's been a fantastic day and the pizza looks amazing."

It's the latest in a long tradition of PR stunts on Bournemouth and Poole beaches, including the giant Pimms deckchair and the Bransonzilla.