Sanditon fans' giant beach art bid for second series

Fans wanting another series of ITV's Jane Austen drama Sanditon have helped create a giant drawing of the show's two main characters on a Somerset beach.

The Sanditon Sisterhood commissioned Simon Beck to draw Sidney Parker and Charlotte Heywood at Brean.

More than 100 supporters raised £2,500 to fund the #SaveSanditon stunt.

The group said it needed to do "something bigger to really get noticed".

Campaigners want a production company or network to give "Charlotte and Sidney their happily ever after"

The £975 needed to design and draw the vast artwork on Brean Beach, was raised by fans in just two hours

ITV's short-lived drama was based on the 19th Century author's famously unfinished novel Sanditon.

But the ITV drama finale was described as feeling "like it's ended halfway through" and fans have been campaigning for a second series.

Juliet Creese, from Sanditon Sisterhood, said they were hoping to get "another network interested" in re-commissioning the drama.

More than 100 supporters raised over £2,500 in just over a day to pay for #SaveSanditon's "spectacular stunt".

"It was supposed to be a continuing series. It had a lot of scope because there was no ending, Jane Austen hadn't ended it," she said.

"And there's a huge clamour for it to be re-commissioned.

"We chose Brean Beach because ITV filmed Sanditon on the beach here, last year.

"In two hours we'd raised the money to design and draw a piece depicting Charlotte and Sidney."

Somerset snow artist Simon Beck (right) said they "didn't have enough time to complete the shading"

Production company Red Planet Pictures said it was "grateful for all their efforts on Sanditon's behalf"

Somerset snow artist Simon Beck, who has created more than 130 vast sand drawings on Brean Beach, said it "normally takes about five hours".

"We didn't complete the drawing because the tide came in much sooner than I expected," he said.

"So we didn't have enough time to complete the shading."

In a statement, production company Red Planet Pictures said it was "in awe" of the Sanditon Sisterhood and Simon Beck's work.

It added: "We are grateful for all their efforts on Sanditon's behalf."