A SCRAP metal merchant has backed a competition for creative artists.

W H Chaloner and Son has just commissioned a sculpture from the North Wales School of Art and Design on Regent Street.

The company held a competition with the school for artists to create a sculpture for the lobby of its new visitor reception.

It had to be made from scrap metal from the yard and represent something about the company.

The £400 first prize went to a work called Neo-bat by Paul Allen.

Second went to Bernard Moore for his Pelican, which was displayed with selected artworks in Salisbury Park United Reformed Church and third to David Pollock's T34 Russian Tank.

'In order to research the project, the students went to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry and made sketches,' said competition co-ordinator Wayne Clark.

'When they came back, there was a pile of scrap metal for them to use to create their artwork.'

The competition was judged by Jan Tunnicliffe, of W H Chaloner.

'All the entries were of such a high standard that choosing was a nightmare,' she said.

'But in the end, simply for the work and time that had gone into it, it had to be the Neo-bat.'

Neo-bat was inspired by the anatomy of a 'flying fox' or fruit bat which was on display at the Museum of Science and Industry.

All three prizewinning entries, all done by sculpture students, will now go on display in W H Chaloner. They will be joined by a work that received a special prize of £100 towards students' studio costs.

Metal Morphosis was a sculpture by illustration students which took on the theme of recycling.

'We are encouraging people to be bold with their art and these sculptures represent that,' said Fine Arts programme leader John McClenaghen.

'There are a lot of good artists here and we encourage them to do things that they are good at and improve their strengths.

'W H Chaloner has been incredibly supportive and we welcome any opportunity for our students to get their art out on display in public. Hopefully we will be able to continue working with them in future to foster the talents of our sculptors.'