This is the mysterious 'lost buoy' that has inspired an artist and prompted plenty of scratched heads in Cromer.

The giant yellow buoy washed up on Cromer's east beach just over a week ago, and has stayed there ever since, stranded in the bitter cold and waiting to be rescued.

A spokesman for the Coastguard said it was thought to be from an RAF firing range off the coast of Lincolnshire. It had become untethered and landed up at Cromer, where it was being left until the RAF arranged to retrieve it.

Watercolour artist Andrew Church, from Cromer, braved the cold to ensure that the buoy will be preserved for posterity in one of his paintings.

He said: 'It's huge and is quite a sight. Recovering it will be a major task.'