A new training lake and campsite could soon be added to a water park as plans to expand the facility have been put forward.

Whitemills Wake and Aqua Park in Sandwich opened less than a year ago, but already bosses say demand for water sports and accommodation nearby has soared.

If approved, the park in Ash Road would build a new shallow artificial training lake to provide a space for beginners looking to take up wakeboarding.

It would be 1.5 metres deep and sit to the right of the current wakeboarding lake, just above the site's car park and inflatable aqua park.

Bosses also hope to turn a patch of unused land into a campsite with 23 pitches for tents and touring caravans, and seven for static caravans.

They say it will help accommodate people travelling to Sandwich from further afield.

Prices would range from £10 to £135 pounds per night depending on the time of year and length of stay.

A single-storey facilities block with toilets and showers would need to be built, along with an extra 31 parking spaces.

If approved, the plans would create seven more jobs.

The park's director, Wayne Cooper, said: "The new training lake will provide one-to-one tuition for wakeboarding beginners.

"And the accommodation will bring people from far afield to stay and enjoy the experience that Whitemills Wake and Aqua Park has to offer."

The park opened on the A256 Sandwich Bypass in July last year, with inflatable climbing frames and slides in the centre of a lake.

It also has areas for open water swimming, stand-up paddle boarding and a lakeside restaurant.

In October, it opened its 'cableway' attraction, which is a pulley-based stunt course that helps wakeboarders reach new heights.

The new training lake, which would be 31m by 73m, would utilise the cable-system in the main lake, but on a smaller scale.

It is hoped the new facilities would make the water park a destination beyond the core summer months.

Soon after opening last year, the site was forced to close after a number of visitors came down with diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and fever - leading to health officials carrying out tests at the attraction.

But after six days, health officials gave bosses the all clear to reopen as results found the illness was not linked to the water quality.