ROCK art has taken on a whole new meaning – and Minehead Rocks. That’s official!

The craze for painted stones has swept through the town and beyond, and a Facebook group called Minehead Rocks, set up just recently, now has 900 members and counting.

It is one of many groups around the country, and the hobby involves any aspect of painting designs on stones, hiding them, discovering them, re-hiding or taking them home to keep.

Photographs of stones found in and around Minehead are being posted on the Facebook group, which was set up when its administrator Maria Adams, found a painted stone while walking her dog on the steam coast path from Dunster to Blue Anchor.

“I took a picture and put it on Facebook to see who it belonged to, and the group just snowballed from there.

“We set up a page and now it’s gone mad,” said Maria, who runs the group with fellow Minehead resident Rachel Nimmo.

Within just a few weeks, it had 600 members and proved a great hit over the recent half term holidays, but interest has since carried on unabated.

“It’s a cheap, easy hobby and it looks like all ages are interested,” said Maria.

“There are no rules, just a lot of fun, it gets people out and they seem to love it.”

Members are asked to buy stones rather than take them from the beach, and identify them by writing on the back: ‘Facebook Minehead Rocks. Take a photo, keep me or re-hide me.’

Some stones have even been found from other parts of the country, and local members are also taking some Minehead Rocks on their travels elsewhere.

Anyone interested in taking part in the fun can join the group on Facebook, and a new Washford, Williton and Watchet one with 86 current members, has also been set up.