Film icon Johnny Depp appears to have turned soap star, after falling for the charms of a Norwich bathroom shop.

Eastern Daily Press: The 1880 French Bateau Bath on ornate feet which has been bought by Johnny Depp for his home in LA, in the window of the Stiffkey Bathrooms shop in Upper St Giles. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYThe 1880 French Bateau Bath on ornate feet which has been bought by Johnny Depp for his home in LA, in the window of the Stiffkey Bathrooms shop in Upper St Giles. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2014)

For the Pirates of the Caribbean actor is said to have bought an antique bathtub from Stiffkey Bathrooms, in Upper St Giles Street.

He apparently became a fan of the shop after seeing their taps and accessories on set at Pinewood Studios.

Depp was filming Mortdecai, an American action comedy film set for release next year, when props loaned to the studio by the bathroom shop caught his eye.

It is thought that Depp, who was previously rumoured to be buying a house in Bath, near Bristol, then got his interior designer on the case.

Eastern Daily Press: The 1880 French Bateau Bath on ornate feet in the Stiffkey Bathrooms shop in Upper St Giles, which has been bought by Johnny Depp for his home in LA. The sold tickets on the bath. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYThe 1880 French Bateau Bath on ornate feet in the Stiffkey Bathrooms shop in Upper St Giles, which has been bought by Johnny Depp for his home in LA. The sold tickets on the bath. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2014)

Dan Hide, who runs Stiffkey Bathrooms with business partner Marc Brown, said Depp really liked the antiques, and the studio hired them several times.

'He's doing a house in LA somewhere and he told his interior designer to check our website out,' he said.

'His girlfriend [Amber Heard] liked the bath - they looked at lots of other ones.

'It's quite exciting really. We've had quite a few famous people as customers, but not of such an international status.

'It's really touching to know that he likes the stuff and remembered our name.'

While Depp did not visit the shop in person, his new bath holds pride of position in the shop window - complete with a tag stating 'SOLD - Mr J Depp, Los Angeles, USA'

The French Bateau bath on ornate feet dates back to 1880 and had a price tag of £5,000.

Mr Hide said the bath would be shipped out to America soon.

He added that people joked that the baths, many of which were sourced from France, looked 'horrible', but they looked 'fantastic' once restored.

Stiffkey Bathrooms was founded in the late 1980s in Stiffkey on the north Norfolk coast, has been in Norwich for 15 years and trades online at www.stiffkeybathrooms.com/

Word of celebrity interest in The Lanes has quickly spread, and has added to the excitement generated by winning the city category of the Great British High Street of the Year Awards 2014.

Carol Lake, owner of neighbouring Carol Lake Studio at 91, said she thought the news was a joke to begin with - and could not believe it.

And Jonty Young, marketing manager for Norwich Lanes, said he was keen to share the good news - tweeting it from @norwichlanes

Has a celebrity bought something from your shop? Email samuel.russell@archant.co.uk