Laurel and Hardy coin portraits created for film premiere

The 150cm (5ft) x 100cm (3ft) mosaics are made from British pennies and US cents

Portraits of comedy legends Laurel and Hardy have been made using just coins.

The mosaics were created to mark the world premiere of a film about the pair, starring Steve Coogan and John C Reilly.

Pennies were used for Stan Laurel, who was born in Ulverston, Cumbria, and cents for the US citizen Oliver Hardy.

Artist Ed Chapman said the duo, who made more than 100 films between 1921 and 1951, were "comedy heroes of mine and I am delighted with the results".

Laurel and Hardy starred together in more than 100 films from the 1920s to the 1950s.

"I usually work in vinyl records and create musicians, but coins are a great medium to work in and I hope they make a fitting tribute to two funny gentlemen," Mr Chapman said.

There are about 3,500 coins in Laurel's portrait and more, slightly smaller, cents in Hardy's.

The renowned mosaic artist was commissioned by a childhood friend from Lancashire, with whom he shared a love of the comedy idols.

The portraits were created by renowned mosaic artist Ed Chapman

Julian Pickford, from Darwen, said he had asked his old friend to produce a permanent reminder of their childhood passion.

"Ed and I have been pals since the age of four and, after school, we would sit down together to watch the old Hal Roach "two-reelers" that were shown on BBC Two," he said.

"We would howl with laughter and then re-enact the scenes.

"We are both hugely excited to hear about the Stan and Ollie movie and would love to see what the film-makers think of the portraits."

Head of BBC Films Christine Langan said Coogan and Reilly were "dream casting"

The world premiere of Stan & Ollie will be held in London on 21 October.

It is described as a "heart-warming story" that follows the pair on their "triumphant" final tour of UK and Ireland in 1953.