'Boy soldiers' artwork shown outside Parliament

The artist said he wanted to create something "alive" that would highlight the campaign

A three-dimensional art installation depicting child soldiers is being displayed outside the Houses of Parliament as part of a peace campaign.

The sculpture, by Hertfordshire artist Schoony, shows the boys sprayed with the words Dulce Et Decorum Est - words from Wilfred Owen's World War I poem.

Schoony is a special effects artist who made prosthetics for the film Rambo.

Schoony said: "Sending children to war is horrific and highlighting this injustice is really important to me.

"I wanted to make something alive," said Elstree Film Studios-based artist.

Inspired by his work in special effects and prosthetics departments on films including Clash of the Titans, X Men and Saving Private Ryan, Schoony created the piece which was modelled on his nephew.

"My nephew is aged seven in this art piece; the age of some of our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq as they would have been 10 years ago. It is a future I do not want for my nephew."

It will be displayed on the Peace Strike plinth in Parliament Square for a month.

Peace Strike campaigns for peace and has joined up with Art Below to create the plinths for peace.

New versions of the panels, with varied designs created by artist Schoony, will also be on show at the Opera Gallery, New Bond Street, from Monday.

Ben Moore, founder of Art Below, said: "When I look at this work I see a statement about the children of our generation growing up in a time of war, many of who may go on to fight in this war or future wars and without really knowing what they are fighting for.

"We have selected Schoony as one of our artists in our special five-year anniversary campaign in the Tube this April."