Fatboy Slim launches Shaun the Sheep art trail

Norman Cook launched the art trail by visiting all 40 statues in a day

Fatboy Slim has helped launch an art trail of Shaun the Sheep statues around Brighton and Hove.

Forty-two statues, all painted by local artists, have been installed at various locations, including the seafront, Hove Lagoons and the Amex Stadium.

The DJ, real name Norman Cook, opened the Shaun by the Sea exhibition by walking the whole trail in one day.

The project, which runs until 5 November, is raising funds for the Hove hospice Martlets

The DJ met some of the artists who decorated the sheep as he walked the trail

Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex as he set off, Mr Cook said: "At the moment morale is very high, and it's lovely that people are beeping at us and stopping and waving.

"The whole point of doing this is to be visible within the community, meet people and say 'hello'. It's all smiles."

Brighton & Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom also took part in the launch.

Each sheep has a QR code for people to scan to make donations, and the statues will eventually be auctioned.

In 2016, Martlets benefited from a trail of painted snowdog statues, and in 2018 an art trail of decorated snail statues raised over £230,000 for the hospice.

An app with a map of all the Shauns is available through the Martlets website.