Pensioner queued five days for beach hut (From Daily Echo)

Keith Duell, 68, has camped out for five nights to be first in line for a summer beach hut

6:00am Monday 7th January 2013 in News

A DEDICATED husband will today finally get his hands on a sought-after beach hut for the summer - after spending the past five days camped out at the front of a queue at a popular beauty spot.

Determined Keith Duell wanted to ensure he was in with a shout of getting a seasonal rent on one of the huts at the picturesque Avon Beach in Mudeford, Dorset.

So the 68-year-old, who fishes in the bay throughout the year accompanied by his wife Christine, made sure he took first place in the queue by sleeping in his tent to keep his place.

The 68-year-old from Burley in the New Forest, said: “: “My wife of 43 years has¬n't been very well so doing this is pay¬back time for her for putting up with me for so long.

“I fish in the bay and she comes and sits with me. This way if the weather is awful, she can sit in the beach hut.

“Our grandchildren will love it.”

His wife Christine added: “We didn't know when to start queuing and wondered whether to leave it until the weekend, in the end I told him to come down.

“We just looked at each other and I said we've got to do it.”