Fallen moon installation deflates in docks

Artist Luke Jerram said the artwork was enjoyed by 10,000 people before storm Ashley "intervened"

The artist of a now-deflated giant replica of the moon placed in a disused docks said creating ambitious artwork "doesn't always go to plan".

Artist Luke Jerram had chosen Bridgwater, in Somerset, to debut his first water-based installation of the Fallen Moon.

However, the internally-lit sculpture, based on data from NASA, was damaged by storm Ashley over the weekend, causing it to deflate.

Mr Jerram said creating large-scale artwork presented on water is "always going to be a challenge" with British weather.

Fallen Moon is a scale model that is 350,000 times smaller than the real thing

He added: "Being willing to try new things out and push the limits of your knowledge and skill set is an important part of the development of an artist's work.

"I'm sad that the artwork didn't withstand the storm, but also proud of the team in Bridgwater for the way they worked hard to present the project and handled the challenges they encountered."

More than 10,000 people have visited the docks since the artwork was unveiled on 15 October, Bridgwater Town Council said.

The display was planned to finish on 3 November.