LYME Regis residents are being urged not to put themselves at risk by camping out overnight to secure a coveted seafront beach hut.

The town council will once again be opening its doors on a Saturday morning to give local residents the first chance to book a Cart Road hut.

This is the third time the authority has given special consideration to those who live in the town to get their hands on a beach hut.

The dedicated residents’ booking day will take place on Saturday, October 3, when the office will be open from 9am until 12pm.

Previous years have seen residents camping out one or two nights to make sure they are first in line for a desirable annual let.

Town management committee chairman, Cllr Stan Williams, said: “We are pleased to be able to offer Lyme Regis residents the chance to obtain one of our popular seafront beach huts.

“It has proved popular in the past, with many residents queuing up to take advantage of this opportunity. We have received positive feedback from the past two years and most people have gone away with their preferred dates.

“However, we would advise people to start queuing at a reasonable time and not to put themselves at risk by camping out overnight.”

As in previous years, 13 huts will be set aside for residents only – three annual lets, three summer season packages, and seven winter lets.

Residents who are not successful in booking their chosen dates on this day will have another chance when the main telephone booking line is open on Tuesday, October 13.

No phone calls will be taken on the Saturday morning and payment must be made on booking. Residents must prove they live in the town by producing a valid council tax bill for their property.

The main beach hut booking day will be held on Tuesday, October 13, when a dedicated phone line, 01297 443773, will be available from 9.30am until 1pm, and 2pm until 4.30pm.

Callers will be asked to leave a message and they will be returned in the order they are left.

No bookings can be made at the office on the main booking day, or on the main office telephone number. Only one hut can be booked per week by any one person, giving more hirers the chance to secure a hut.