Seaside towns and cities must play an equally important role in 21st Century Britain as they did in the last century, Tory leader David Cameron has said.

Mr Cameron, in an interview with The Argus, said he wanted to make sure coastal towns got the "boost" they needed.

The Conservative Party is currently reviewing its policies on coastal towns, taking in issues relating to housing, planning, benefits and regulation.

Mr Cameron suggested there was "no one magic wand" to help struggling resorts back on their feet, but hinted he would like the National Lottery to support more "innovative projects" in coastal areas.

The Tories would be encouraging seaside towns to "think out of the box" and develop activities and attractions to attract more tourism.

He said: "Britain has got a number of fantastic seaside towns and they are a great part of our heritage.

"We need to be inventive and creative to make sure they are as important a part of 21st century Britain as they were part of 20th century Britain."

Last month Prime Minister Tony Blair defended the Government's record on looking after the country's seaside resorts.

Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, he said: "It is important that we regenerate our seaside resorts.

"But also, all of our seaside resorts benefit from a strong economy."

Boasting about the Government's achievements over the past decade, Mr Blairsaid: "There has been low interest rates, low unemployment, high employment, and not the disastrous boom and bust policies of the 18 years before us."