Birmingham's 'four lads in jeans' get statues outside city bar

The artist said he was inspired because the men looked like "Greek statues of old"

The stars of the viral 'four lads in jeans' meme have been immortalised in paper mache outside the bar their famous photograph was taken.

A picture of Kevin Rooney, Alex Lacey, Jamie Phillips and Connor Humpage went viral after it was shared on Instagram in 2019.

Birmingham artist Tat Vision said he had to create something "because they looked like Greek statues of old".

The sculptures were unveiled outside All Bar One in the city.

The picture that started it all - Kevin, Alex, Jamie and Connor

Tat Vision, whose real name is Well Douglas, said his paper mache sculptures took a couple of weeks "on and off" to create, but said: "I don't think they're going to last."

He predicted someone would probably try to take their heads off while enjoying a drink on a night out and said he would be happy if they lasted a couple of days.

The statues were built as part of the Birmingham Weekender - an arts event in the city.

The Coventry friends' social media fame came with a cost, when Mr Humpage later said they had been repeatedly targeted by trolls.

"I think people forget about the people they're trolling behind their phones or keyboards. We actually are real people and it does affect you," he said.

But multiple parodies of the photograph and a TikTok animated version of the men appearing to show them singing the sea shanty Wellerman sent their popularity soaring.

They even starred in an advert for McDonalds in 2021.

Mr Douglas said the men had told him they were "very excited" about the statues, and would be going to visit them.