Straw Paddington towers over Cheshire countryside

Paddington can be seen doffing his hat to visitors at Snugburys ice cream shop near Nantwich

A 14m (45ft) straw Paddington Bear has appeared over the Cheshire countryside to raise funds and awareness for a charity.

Complete with a hand-woven hat and a duffel coat made from larch shingles, the eye-catching sculpture towers over Snugburys ice cream shop on the A51 near Nantwich.

Paddington replaces a straw bee sculpture which stood there previously, with past straw sculptures including Peter Rabbit and a rotating, talking dalek.

The attraction is part of an initiative to support children with a rare genetic condition.

Snugburys director Cleo Spencer explained that a family friend had a son with mucopolysaccharidosis type III (MPS 3A) which is also referred to as Sanfilippo syndrome or childhood dementia.

The team at Snugburys decided to donate a portion of their ice cream sales to the MPS Society which supports families who have a child with the disorder.

“If we can help in any way, which is raising awareness and also raising money, we’re absolutely delighted,” Ms Spencer said.

She added: “Its been so exciting getting it up, there’s always a bit of sort of anxiety behind it.

“You’re so eager to get it up, but when it’s up it’s such a relief.”

Hannah, the friend whose son Freddie has MPS 3A, told the BBC her little boy had been “over the moon” to see Paddington unveiled.

“We were absolutely blown away. The awareness it brings is huge, the MPS Society are blown away by it as well,” she said.

“Freddie’s favourite character is Paddington. He was running up to it, saying ‘bear, bear’ as he was so thrilled.”

Freddie, who is four years old, was diagnosed with MPS 3A shortly before his second birthday.

He has now secured a place on a medical trial in Spain where he will undergo gene therapy and return every six months for follow-up appointments.

He was very fortunate to have secured a place on the trial, Hannah said, as places were limited and he was only eligible as he had been diagnosed before his second birthday.

Speaking about the Spencer family, she said: “They want to raise lots for the charity, but the awareness it raises is unbelievable.

“The more people are aware, the more children will be diagnosed early enough.

“This is massive – this is probably one of the biggest things that has happened for the MPS Society.

She added: “We were super-excited when it went live so we could finally share the news with everyone.

“We were in tears when we first found out, so it brought all that back.

“We can’t thank them enough.”

The straw Paddington took more than 1,500 hours of work to complete, according to Snugburys – and this included welding, stuffing with straw, willow weaving, painting and cladding.

The frame was created by engineer Mike Harper, and Snugburys said it was their tallest sculpture to date.