Cromer lifeboat crew fly the flag for Carnival stalwart Tony West as his ashes are scattered at sea

Tony West, leading a conga of youngsters down the zig-zag slope on Cromer Promenade during the town's Cromer Carnival children's week. Picture: SAMANTHA ANNISON (Image: Archant)

Amanda West revealed some of her best memories were of their time together walking their dogs along the coast and sitting on the pier.

She joined family and friends at a moving ceremony at Cromer lifeboat station on Sunday as Tony's ashes were scattered at sea.

The ceremony, next to the pier, was conducted by an RNLI crew member from the back of the lifeboat Lester.

Struggling to hold back her tears, Amanda said: 'We've spent a lot of time down here with the dogs and sitting on the pier. That is where he wanted to go, so if he was in the sea he was everywhere.

Tony's family and friends watched the ceremony from the pier. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

'That's the last thing we've got to do for him so when we go anywhere, he'll be in the sea, we've just got to look at the sea.'

A flag was also unfurled in tribute to Tony on a new flag pole outside the town's inshore lifeboat station, with money raised in his memory at the town's annual Boxing Day dip.

The fundraiser, which raised a record £4078, also contributed towards new weather monitoring equipment which it is hoped will help save more lives along the North Norfolk coast.

Cromer Carnival chairman Tony Shipp, who was in attendance at the unfurling ceremony, said: 'Tony was a great part of Cromer Carnival from a child. When I first started doing the children's weeks he came down and helped me and just grew in the Carnival from there. He was as much part of Cromer Carnival as any of us.'

Tony's widow, Amanda West, raised a new flag at the RNLI's inshore boathouse in his memory. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

And he added: 'I think it's great that we are remembering him in this way and the RNLI will have a permanent memorial there with the flag. The money raised from the Boxing Day swim was a fantastic amount and just showed the depth of feeling the town had for Tony.'

Mr West, who passed away aged 54 last year, spent his life supporting Cromer Carnival, organising activities, making floats, wearing costumes and filling others with his exuberant spirit.

He took part in the 2015 Cromer Boxing Day Dip with wife Amanda, dressed as an inflatable Father Christmas.

Amanda said: 'To have raised so much for the lifeboat was so overwhelming.

Cromer lifeboat crew paid special tribute to Tony West following the donation in his memory. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

'The crew are brilliant and inspire so many, we used spend a lot of time on the pier and at the lifeboat station.

'The boys took us out on the boat for a wedding present which was amazing.'

Tony's widow, Amanda West, raised a new flag at the RNLI's inshore boathouse in his memory. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

The £4000 raised for the RNLI in Tony's memory at the Boxing Day dip helped pay for the new flag and flagpole, as well as some potentially life-saving weather monitoring equipment. Amanda West is given a demonstration from Cromer lifeboat station operations manager Richards Leeds. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

Cromer lifeboat launches into the sea off the pier at the start of the special ceremony. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

A member of the lifeboat team scatters Tony West's ashes into the sea off Cromer Pier. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

Cromer lifeboat pays its own poignant tribute to Tony West. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

Tony's family and friends watched the ceremony from the pier. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

The rain stopped as the ceremony got underway, and the sun shone through a break in the clouds, as flowers were thrown into the sea in Tony's memory. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

Cromer lifeboat pays its own tribute to Tony West. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

The lifeboat returns to the boathouse at the end of the ceremony. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)

The rain stopped as the ceremony got underway, and the sun shone through a break in the clouds, as flowers were thrown into the sea in Tony's memory. Picture: Ally McGilvray (Image: Archant)