Man, 85, delighted as wire models prove popular

Sam Simson began crafting the figures, like this banjo-playing model, as a hobby

Life-size models crafted from chicken-wire by an 85-year-old man have received rave reviews from local people, leaving their creator "very surprised".

Sam Simpson began bending the mesh into figures that take the shape of both humans and animals as a hobby twenty years ago.

He recently put the whole collection on display in Werneth Low Country Park in Tameside where he volunteers.

Sam said after the positive public reaction to his models he was "tempted by the appreciation to perhaps do a few more".

Models including a sheep, shepherd, cockerel and pig have gone on display in the park

Sam said his hobby began nearly twenty years ago with a suggestion from his daughter who sent him a picture of a chicken wire model.

"She thinks I have a bit of an artistic bent, and it was an owl, so I did make her an owl and we set it up in her garden," he said.

"That was the first one. You have to get a structure to it so it's not just chicken wire that's around the edges, but actually the thicker wire to keep it stood up."

'It's therapeutic'

Over the decades while working in his garden, he has created chickens, ducks, sheep, pigs and human figures, but only recently set his creations out in the orchard at the country park.

"I would say it's therapeutic although I do swear sometimes when things go wrong when I'm making them.

"They don't always come out as I'd wish so I'll leave it for a little while, come back to it, re-modify it and carry on developing something."

People have been coming to take pictures of Sam's models after a post on the park's Facebook page received hundreds of likes.

He said: "I've been very surprised by the reaction and how many people have been to look at it. When I'm up here, there's often people coming through, taking snapshots of them."