Commonwealth Games: Bull creator delighted by scrapheap reprieve

The bull has been on display in Birmingham city centre, drawing crowds after appearing in the opening ceremony

The creator of a mechanical bull that starred in the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony says he is "absolutely committed" to it staying in Birmingham.

The 10m sculpture went on display in Centenary Square after delighting the stadium crowd last week.

But it faced being dismantled until the council confirmed a reprieve by way of a yet-to-be-chosen indoor home.

"I am absolutely committed to making it work," Mike Kelt, from special effects firm Artem, said of the idea.

"I love the people in Birmingham and the way they have reacted to [the bull]."

Mr Kelt said finding a new location "probably means a very large headache", given the size and weight of the city's latest attraction and the equipment inside it.

When in use, a telehandler moves the piece; the legs of which hang from an aluminium frame that allows walkways for the puppeteers and technicians to operate.

The outer skin, however, is made of dense foam, meaning when wintry weather hits, preservation will require the bull to be indoors, where it will head at the end of September.

Hannah Joshua, who operated the bull's legs and tail, said the reaction to it has "absolutely blown us away"

Hannah Joshua was the technician who sat within the sculpture to operate the computer controlling the legs, and she said of the public reaction: "The response has absolutely blown us away.

"It is the biggest compliment we could get seeing how much everyone has fallen in love with him."

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Bull facts

• The bull is is 10m (32ft) high, 4.5m (15ft) wide and 15m (49ft) long - and weighs 2.5 tonnes

• The special effects firm took five months to construct it with a team of about 60 people working on the piece

• The bull is moved around with a 17-tonne telehandler which was sourced from Europe

• Two puppeteers are needed to operate the head while another technician uses a computer to move the legs

• The bull's tail is made to wiggle using ropes and pullies

The bull snorting smoke was a crowd-pleaser

The inside of the bull features gears and pistons made from foam