Decorated sculptures of Herdwick sheep sell for £250,000

Mandy Allan's creation called Parker fetched £20,000

A flock of more than 100 decorated plastic sheep has been sold for £250,000 at auction.

The 108 life-sized models of Herdwick sheep had formed part of a Lake District trail and were decorated by local artists and businesses.

The largest bid of £20,000 was for a sheep adorned in mirror tiles, created by South Lakes artist Mandy Allan.

The cash will go to the Lake District Calvert Trust, which provides outdoor holidays for people with disabilities.

It will also help fund a specialist recovery centre for people with serious brain or back injuries.

The majority of the sheep went for between £800 and £4,000

The glass-reinforced plastic sculptures formed an art trail called Go Herdwick, between Keswick and Windermere over the past six months, with each one sponsored by a local business.

Burly, by Lionel Playford, sold for £5,500

Herdwick sheep are native to the Lake District and often graze at heights of about 3,000ft (915m).

Recognised as one of the hardiest British sheep breeds, in 2013 it was awarded protected status by the European Commission.

A Sheep in the Sun by Jane Veveris Callan raised £5,500 at the auction

A spokesman for the trust said: "We express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported the project and dug deep."

Most of sculptures sold for between £800 and £4,000.