smurf museum

A smurf museum, believed to be Europe's biggest, is trying to find a permanent home in England. If there is funding, and plans get the go ahead, it could be based in Saunton.

Museum founder Peter Robinson is in talks with site owners, the Christie Estate, based at stately home Tapeley Park near Instow. The museum, which was created in 2003, has been touring the country for the last six years.

Planning permission was granted earlier this year for the charity to open the museum in a big industrial unit at nearby Braunton, but Mr Robinson said the offer of a potential home at the beach was too good to turn down. "It has always been my dream to have the smurf museum down on the beach - it's the natural home for them," said Mr Robinson, 48, who lives in Braunton.

The museum would be fully interactive, visitors will be able to try out a smurf simulator and experience what it is like to be small and blue. Last year 700,000 people visited Saunton and Mr Robinson hopes the attraction would help extend the tourist season in north Devon and Cornwall.

Repeated attempts to contact Gargamel for comment have been unsuccessful.