Dutch sand artist leaves mark on UK beach

A Dutch artist has spent his holiday covering a British beach in sand art.

For the last eight years, Gert-Jan Van Der Kooij, 46, has been experimenting with a rake on sandy beaches.

The father-of-three packed all this equipment on to a ferry when he learned that his holiday cottage in Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex would be near the coast.

"They [locals] were clapping, applause and saying what they like about it," he said.

"There's a high promenade where you can look from above, and that's perfect because in the Netherlands when I'm raking, people can't see what I'm doing, only when they see it through the drone."

Mr Van Der Kooij said an audience gathered while he was working

The artist uses a computer software to plan his handiwork, and then wears virtual-reality goggles as he does his drawing in order to stick to his plans.

Mr Van Der Kooij lives near a beach in the Netherlands and used his hands for his artwork, until his wife bought him a rake.

Gert-Jan Van Der Kooij said he had the best holiday at Walton-on-the-Naze

He created 30m x 30m (99ft x 99ft) pieces of well-known UK figures, including Amy Winehouse, Winston Churchill and David Beckham.

The artist drew a train to mark the 200th anniversary of the modern British railway.

Another man requested he recreate a portrait of his mother - who had passed away three months ago.

The result of his six-day stay was not only a spectacle for the locals, but he also said it was the "greatest holiday" and he will "definitely" return to the coastal town.