The two sentry boxes in front of Teignmouth's pier have now both been restored and one transformed into an old-fashioned 'peep box'.

The other sentry box was painted and renovated last year.

The peep box has six pictures inside, including a picture of a bank holiday in Teignmouth in the 1950s, a poster for a concert in the town by local band Muse, and views of the seafront.

To use it, adults and children can look into the peep-holes and press the buttons to light up the pictures.

Peep shows were reportedly popular before moving pictures were invented, and the renovations come as part of a project led by Dr Tony Lidington from the University of Exeter designed to bring traditional seaside entertainment back to resorts in Devon.

Dr Lidington, an expert in theatre history, will put on shows again this summer in Teignmouth, Dawlish, Torquay and Exeter including slapstick, variety skills, songs, and Punch and Judy.

He has been training youngsters for the past two years how to do the shows. This year he has two new apprentices who will perform with professionals during the free performances throughout August.

The origins of the wooden sentry boxes is largely unknown, and they may date from the 1920s. The renovations were organised by Cllr David Cox and funded by Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council.

He said: "Tony Lidington is a brilliant entertainer and we are very pleased to work with him again this year. The new sentry box will be a fantastic asset to the town."

Dr Lidington said: "We hope people enjoy the renovations and using our new peep box, and it will become a real community asset for all ages. I think it looks brilliant. It would be brilliant if the renovations led to more information becoming available about the history and origins of the sentry boxes, if anyone has any further information please get in touch with me."