THINGS were looking lovely jubbly in Weymouth when an (almost) famous face came to town.

But don't worry, he wasn't trying to flog knock-off wares on the beach.

Maurice Canham, the UK's number one lookalike and soundalike to the much-loved David Jason character Del Boy was at Sandworld yesterday for the unveiling of this sculpture.

The sculpture was created by Baldrick Buckle and has taken him approximately a week to complete.

Heads were turning at the unveiling with many visitors believing the real Del Boy had come to Weymouth.

Mark Anderson, co-founder and director at Sandworld, said: "Today was brilliant.

"We were packed here and it was a really good day.

"Maurice is known as the best in the business and he certainly is.

"It is really uncanny how close much he looks like Del Boy.

"He speaks with a similar accent too.

"He is really good - he gets into the spirit of it.

"Most people love Only Fools and Horses - it's very well known.

"This year our theme is the Best of British and Only Fools and Horses is perfect for that theme.

"Baldrick has been sand sculpturing for 20 years and when I asked him to come in the summer holidays for this he said he was really busy and would struggle to do it but when I told him about Only Fools and Horses he said he would have to come down.

"He has been working on the sculpture for a week and has about three more hours to go."

Thankfully, Mr Canham's trip to the seaside ended better than Del Boy and Rodney's seaside excursion- fans will recall that during an episode when the brothers take a jaunt to Margate their coach explodes- thanks to a dodgy radio sold by none other than the Trotters themselves.

Mr Canham said: "About 20 years ago or more and as a domestic appliance engineer I would constantly get called Del Boy from my customers.

"It was a constant 'you're a Del Boy lookalike and even a Del Boy soundalike'.

"It got to the point of growing a moustache to disguise the look.

"Thirteen years ago I joined a drama group.

"It was a brilliant feeling on stage - the buzz was excellent.

"Then it was plays and cabarets and then more pantos, plays and cabarets - sometimes I was doing two drama groups at the same time.

"Years ago I was doing a cabaret and at the interval a lot of the audience thought David Jason was on stage.

"When the write up in the paper followed the next week it commented, 'is Maurice Canham really Del Boy?'

"I phoned a look-alike agency and never looked back."

There's more 'magic' planned for Sandworld, too.

Mr Anderson added: "We've got a lot planned at Sandworld this year.

"Kate Bush is hopefully going to make an appearance at some point and Harry Potter is going to be rebuild after as his head fell off in a little accident.

"We are doing things a little bit different this year and keeping a few from last year as well as new ones.

"Everybody is really enjoying themselves and its great to know that it is being appreciated."