A huge Banksy-style elephant mural has appeared in the centre of Bishop's Castle.

Local artist Bamber Hawes led a team to paint a three-storey high orange Indian elephant standing on its hind legs, reaching out an apple to a little girl leaning out of a window.

The new local landmark which can can be found next to the town hall at the top of High Street, took less than five hours to complete on Sunday, October 11.

It is part of the 'March of the Elephants' artwork trail project which aims to boost the local economy and keep businesses going by attracting people to the town.

"We need a bit of colour at the moment, don't we!" Keith Whiddon, from the March of the Elephants project, said. "It is pretty amazing how it's attracting people from all over.

"We had ideas to paint this wall two or three years ago. It's right in the High Street, at the pinch point of the road, so to actually get the go-ahead to do it has taken three years. And everyone has been right behind it.

"It was very well prepared, everyone knew what to do and how to do it."

Funding came from Shropshire Council's Covid-19 Small Market Towns Marches Investment Fund which helped towards commissioning the unique artwork.

The elephant is rooted in the history of Bishop’s Castle. Clive of India lived in the town and an Indian elephant become his emblem. And during the Second World War several circuses moved their animals out of the cities to Bishop’s Castle to avoid the air raids.

Future art installations include a bas-relief pair of elephant heads with entwining trunks on a building in the town centre, and a large elephant out of bent willow with a hidden windmill powering its swinging tail in a field near the entrance to Bishop’s Castle.

Keith added: "We've got loads of things in the pipeline. At some point we'll look at how to bring in more money for bigger and better things. We're trying to establish it and let it grow."