Oadby church tree stumps turned into sculptures

The praying hands point towards the village centre

Two trees outside a church which had to be felled have been turned into sculptures.

The cedars at St Peter's in Oadby, Leicestershire, had grown so tall they were deemed to be a safety risk.

A local sculptor turned one trunk into a pair of praying hands and the other into a series of animals representing the life of St Peter.

Rev Jon Tearne said: "The fact these have been made with a chainsaw just blows my mind."

The dove represents the Holy Spirit and the donkey is the animal which Jesus rode into Jerusalem

Concerns were raised last year, due to the number of branches falling into the churchyard and paths.

The trees were cut back by the council and left as tall stumps but church officials found many in the congregation were unhappy with the situation.

They then commissioned local chainsaw sculptor Peter Leadbeater to turn them into something more attractive.

The praying hands are designed to represent the church praying for the community.

Parts of St Peter's in Oadby are thought to date from the 13th Century

Different facets of the life of St Peter are illustrated by the second sculpture, which includes a donkey, dove, cockerel, lamb and net of fish.

Rev Tearne said: "The reaction has been really good. It is now the first thing people notice when visiting and they really love them.

"It's really added to the church and with school parties, we can do some lessons about the Christian faith and then we can go outside and see the sculptures."