An aquarium has had to shell out for designer homes to re-house its stock of fussy hermit crabs.

The cranky crustaceans refused to move into the drab crab dwellings provided in their tanks.

So bosses had to import some sophisticated shells - and now the hermits are right at home.

Staff at the Blue Reef Aquarium, in North Shields, were stumped when their ten hermit crabs refused to ditch their old shells for new beach-front properties hand-picked from the North-East coast.

Matt Owen, of Blue Reef, said: "Hermit crabs are always on the look-out for newer and better shells. They also need bigger shells to house them when they grow.

"We tried several from the beach at Tynemouth - but they were all unsuitable. The crabs would try them on for size but would quickly ditch them and move back to their own.

"The hermits need protection. Their own exo-skeleton is soft compared to other crustaceans, and when they grow they need bigger shells. Without shells, they can quickly die."

Worried staff began to look for shell supplies elsewhere. And after much searching they found a set of colourful shells in New York, costing £30 for ten.

Matt said: "Each one had its own design, some paisley, glow in the dark, tie-dye - all sorts of colours.

"Within days the crabs were right at home. It was amazing."