The origins behind city's 'Man on the Ladder'

The "Man on the Ladder" has been around since approximately 1996

It is affectionately known as Nottingham's "hardest worker".

Come rain or shine, the "Man on the Ladder" is busy working at the top of a commercial building off Western Boulevard.

It is a sight that has greeted thousands of drivers and passengers for almost 30 years - and many young children have been made to believe it is a real person.

The figure dates back to 1996, when it was put up by Kev Harper and Andy Coupe, who worked for the company MRG Group, which occupied the building at the time.

The initial firefighter uniform had been donated by Stockhill Fire Station

Mr Harper said his boss wanted it put up because the premises was hard to find, and he had been inspired by high-visibility work clothes drying out on the top floor windows.

The pair were given an old shop mannequin with a female body to do the job - but that raised a few complications.

"You've got to imagine this mannequin had been sat on a plinth so it was flat to the ground," he explained.

"We had to cut the back of one of the legs so it was flexible, so it gives the impression that it's climbing the ladder."

It is this same modified female model that remains up there, albeit held together with "cable ties and bolts".

Mark Garton said it was common for children to wave at the figure as they went past

Mark Garton, 43, became the custodian in 2011 after his vehicle dismantling business moved into the building.

He said that as a child he used to see the mannequin and, like many others, had mistaken it for being a real person.

"I think my dad led me to believe it was real," he said.

"He used to say, 'oh look at that bloke, he's working hard isn't he', and you never really know as a child."

When taking over the premises, he said the first thing the neighbouring businesses told him was "don't take him down, definitely don't take him down".

He added: "I definitely feel a massive responsibility to look after it, it means something to me, and just for everyone to have a little smile as they drive down the street."

Mr Garton says maintenance is infrequent because the roof it is above is fragile

Mr Garton said whenever it was taken down for a clothing change or maintenance work, people rang up the business asking where it had gone.

"It's definitely a celebrity, and I mean the business next door, they say when they get invoices and things like that, people just invoice them as 'Man on Ladder'," he added.

Terri Beck, 60, moved from Leicester to Nottingham about 15 years ago, and she said the figure was "fantastic".

"This is one of the most special things [about Nottingham] because it's so unusual, and people who've never seen it before want to know where it is," she said.

"My children loved it, and now they're grown up, my grandchildren love it too."

A campaign by the now-defunct Trent FM saw the mannequin put back up after it fell down in 2011

Now nearing 30 years of work on the ladder, Mr Harper admitted his "landmark" has lasted longer than he ever anticipated.

Meanwhile, Mr Garton said the figure was due to have some new clothes, which he anticipated swapping out some time "next year".

"Next time we redress it, we're going to see if we can try and make it look like a female, so maybe it won't be known as the Man on the Ladder any more.

"But it's the same kit for a man and a woman, so if anyone has any ideas, that would be fantastic.

"I think it would be nice to keep it as a fireman, but people don't call it the fire man on the ladder, or the fire lady on the ladder, it's always known as the Man on the Ladder.

"So maybe a skirt, maybe office attire, but it would need to stand the test of time," he added.