Bullring bull statue gets jumper for Christmas

The jumper has been made by 12 people, using 14kg of wool

A group of Birmingham knitting enthusiasts has created a jumper for one of the city's most famous statues.

The Kings Heath group Stitches and Hos has been knitting the jumper for the large bull statue that sits outside the Bullring shopping centre.

The group was commissioned by the shopping centre to knit the jumper after a "guerrilla-style" effort to clothe the bull was foiled.

The completed outfit, made from 14kg of wool, is set to be unveiled on Friday.

'Graffiti knitting'

One of the founders of Stitches and Hos, Sara Fowles, said: "We originally tried to do it guerrilla-style without anyone knowing, but we were marched away from the centre.

"Later we were approached by the centre after they had seen some of the other things we'd done."

The group, which was founded in 2005, has previously knitted a scarf for Birmingham's "Floozy in the Jacuzzi" statue and covered bollards around a Kings Heath roundabout in a "rainbow of colours".

The approach, sometimes called "yarn bombing", or "graffiti knitting", has become popular in recent years, with trees, telephone boxes and even buses covered in knitted items.

Ms Fowles said Stitches and Hos had originally been set up to share knitting techniques and tricks, but quickly grew into a social event too.

About 12 people have been involved in the project at the Bullring.

The jumper is expected to stay on the bull throughout Christmas.