In ancient Rome, workers laboured for years to build the mighty Coliseum and the Pantheon.

But these architectural feats could be recreated in just one month if organisers of a £1.2 million international sand sculpture festival are given the go-ahead.

More than 6,500 tonnes of sand dredged from a river in Holland would be brought to the derelict Black Rock site in Madeira Drive, Brighton, where 80 artists would shape it into sculptures up to 14m high.

In the evenings the 60 to 80 sculptures, most of which would be up to 4m high, would be illuminated by torches and coloured lights.

It would take construction workers four weeks to prepare the 3,000 sq m site for the festival, which would open to visitors seven days a week from mid June to late September.

Artists and designers are working on initial plans at the moment, taking their inspiration from the TV series, Rome. Thomas Van den Dungen, owner of Nederlands Zandsculpturen Festivals, has applied to Brighton and Hove City Council for permission to hold the festival for a second year.

Last summer thousands of visitors flocked to see the ancient Egyptian pyramids and a statue of Cleopatra on Brighton seafront. But the festival was temporarily put in jeopardy because organisers had forgotten to apply for planning permission in time.

Mr Van den Dungen, said he hoped this year's festival would be bigger and better. He said: "We hope we will receive planning permission that's the important thing. We had a lot of fine compliments last year so we thought it would be great to come back.

"I am excited but it's a very expensive project so I am anxious to see if the second festival will have the same success. Hopefully it should be even better."