A COMPETITION launched by a holiday cottage website crowned Sandbanks as the number one sunset watching spot in the UK.

The competition, launched by holidaycottages.co.uk, received more than 750 photos and 15,000 votes.

Carl Draper's photo of a sunset at Sandbanks claimed the top spot, naming Sandbanks as the number one place to watch a sunset from in the country.

Carl said: "The picture is summer sunset at Sandbanks, with Keira my 16-year-old daughter and my brother. The conditions were perfect that evening; zero wind at high tide meant very little movement of water, which only lasts a few minutes, while there were also easterly winds bringing sand over from the Sahara Desert - which is why we get the 'Star Wars' type sunsets.

"I would definitely say it was ‘right time, right light, right place'".

Digital PR Manager for holidaycottages.co.uk, Shannon Keary said: "These images highlight a few of the endless opportunities we have on our doorstep to make unforgettable memories, and with staycation demand set to be strong once again this summer, it certainly given us plenty of inspiration on where to go once we are able to travel once again.

"We were blown away by the stunning sights from all over the UK submitted throughout our hunt. The pictures just go to show that you don’t need to travel outside of the UK to experience such incredible scenes."