An enthusiastic handyman could be shedding tears of joy after his creation was entered into a Channel 4 competition.

Nick Siminson built a Caribbean-style rum shack in his back garden in Teynham, after being inspired by his travels to Barbados.

The 58-year-old visits the country once a year with his wife Deborah and says their love of the television show George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces drove them to design the cabin.

He said: “We always watch it every year and thought it would be nice to do a similar project that would bring a bit of the Caribbean to England.

“The show definitely encouraged me and made me feel as if I could have a go at making something as big as this.

“It’s still a work in progress but I have a lot of work to do on my house so I will have to stop adding to it soon.”

Mr Siminson spent two months building the three sq m wooden structure using donated materials with the overall cost of construction coming in at nearly £1,200.

He said: “I built every bit of the shack myself and have the backache to prove it. A lot of people gave us bits and pieces such as the bar, which is an old kitchen top, so I managed to keep the cost down.”

Inside the colourful shed, called Rum Corner, is Caribbean-related memorabilia the couple have collected from their travels, including authentic Barbadian rum, candles and maps.

The competition, which is sponsored by Cuprinol, will see a panel of judges select a shortlist before a public vote will be held later in the year.

The top four creations in each of the eight categories, including best bar, will make up the finalists and feature on the popular Channel 4 TV series this summer, when an overall winner will be announced.

But the retired insurance broker, of Teynham Street, said he wasn’t worried about his opponents and mainly uses the backyard boozer to entertain friends during the summer months.

He said: “It’s just a bit of fun and I’m not taking it too seriously as I’m not sure what I’d do if we did win.

“We use it quite a lot to host parties such as the Six Nations and Eurovision, but it only fits about nine people so things can get a bit cosy.

“Everyone loves it though and we get nothing but compliments, which is nice, especially given the amount of hard work that went into it.

“My wife says the only thing that’s missing is the sand.”

Voting to determine the category winners, and who goes through to the next round, can be done via readersheds.co.uk