A PINK beach hut inspired by a family's first holiday together has won a nationwide competition.

Rebecca Munson, from Alresford, had her hut - called Lily Beach - crowned as the winner of this year's Love Your Hut competition.

The decoration for Rebecca's beach hut, located on the west end of Dovercourt Beach, was inspired by her family's first holiday to an island in the Maldives called Lily Beach.

Rebecca, 45, said: "We decided to enter the competition because we are very proud of our hut and feel chuffed when passers by comment on our hut."

She said she's had the hut for the past six years and decorated it in a pastel colour theme, installed internal doors, and designed most of the soft furnishings herself.

The mum-of-one said: "My daughter, also called Lily, aged nine, loves being there, crabbing, playing on the beach or playing with the many toys that we have there, playing with friends, cousins or her two-year-old nephew.

"We always make sure that we have a special day in the summer holidays for a get together day with all of Lily's school friends when all are invited to join us and have fun at the beach.

"On the walls we have canvases that show Lily playing on the beach at Dovercourt and two from Lily Beach in the Maldives - there is also a beach hut cross stitch that I altered to show both the flag of the Maldives and that of the UK."

Rebecca was presented with a hamper and plaque from Matthew Briggs from Love Your Hut last Wednesday. *SEPT 19*

She added: "We were absolutely overjoyed and very excited to have won and we will proudly display our plaque on the door for all to see when the hut is open."

Matthew Briggs, of Love Your Hut, said: "From our point of view, lily beach is exactly what a beach hut is meant to be used for – fun times by the sea, with family and friends, eating and drinking.

"Having seen the hut in the flesh too, it’s a nice to see that it is very well looked after inside and out."

This year the competition attracted more than 75 entries ranging from a chalet in Scotland to a beach hut in the Isle of Wight.