Great Yarmouth's Louis Tussauds wax museum gets go-ahead to become home

June and Peter Hayes applied for residential use of the building

A waxworks museum in Norfolk, operating since the 1950s, is facing closure after its owners won the go-ahead to turn the building into housing.

Jane and Peter Hayes, who run Louis Tussauds House of Wax in Great Yarmouth, applied to the council to allow residential use of the building.

Councillors approved the plan on Tuesday evening.

In October Mr and Mrs Hayes told the BBC they plan to retire now they are both in their 80s.

In 2008, the museum was reported to be home to "the world's worst waxworks", but has gained a cult following.

Named after the great-grandson of Madame Tussaud, the museum, on Regent Road promotes itself as being "different", remembering "stars and famous people as they were at their height of fame".

In October Mrs Hayes said: "We've applied to change the building into a residential premises so we can continue to live here as we don't want to part with the property."

Mr and Mrs Hayes were unavailable for comment on Wednesday.

Michael Castle, chairman of the council's development control committee, said it would be sad to see the House of Wax close, but he understood that the couple could not find a buyer for it and have been running it since 1954.