When Tomorrow's World featured an item on inflatable structures it captured the imagination of councillors.

Already on the look-out for a town bandstand, they decided to come up with a world first - an inflatable bandstand.

Littlehampton mayor Mark Butler said: "We had budgeted for a new bandstand but didn't really know what we wanted.

"We knew we didn't want something traditional like a Victorian prom-type structure but we hadn't come up with anything innovative."

The inflatable structures featured on the television programme were all manufactured by the company owned by round-the-world balloonist Per Lindstrom.

Mr Butler said: "We looked up his company on the internet and all it took was one phone call and they said they could come up with something for us."

Councillors were astonished when staff from the company visited Littlehampton to show them a prototype.

He said: "We were stunned because all they brought was a large bag.

"They laid this flat structure out on the ground and within five minutes it inflated into this huge bandstand."

The structure is made of linked tubes and measure ten metres across by five metres high and 6.25 metres deep.

On the front it carries the town crest and the words Littlehampton Town Council.

Mr Butler said the £24,000 the town council is forking out for the bandstand is worth every penny because it will put the town on the map as being innovative.

He said: "We can truly say that we can take the bandstand to the band instead of the band having to go to the bandstand.

"Littlehampton has had its knocks in the past but this is something that will put Littlehampton on the map for all the right reasons."

The bandstand will be available to local organisations to hire out. It will be unveiled in the next few months.