Shrouds of the Somme installation needs funding for tour of Britain

Artist Rob Heard, from Somerset, spent six months hand-stitching shrouds onto 19,240 wood figures to represent each soldier killed on the first day of the Battle of Somme

The artist behind the 19,240 Shrouds of the Somme art installation said funds are needed to take it around the UK.

Rob Heard, from Somerset, spent six months hand-stitching shrouds onto wood figures to represent each soldier killed on the first day of the Somme.

First displayed in Exeter in July, it was moved to Bristol last week where more then 70,000 people have seen it.

Mr Heard, said there was a "lot of interest" in a tour of Britain but it would be "very expensive".

In one of the bloodiest battles of World War One, 100,000 Allied soldiers went "over the top" to face the German army in the valley of the River Somme.

To "make physical" the death toll on the first day of battle, volunteers spent last Thursday laying thousands of 12in (30cm) shrouded figurines on College Green in Bristol.

First displayed in Exeter in July, the installation was moved to Bristol last week - where more then 70,000 people have seen it

Mr Heard said he had been "in awe" of the "almost tangible" reaction to the week long exhibition.

He said: "There's a lot of interest for us to take this round the country which we would like to do," he said.

"London calls - as it always does - but the north east is where there were huge losses so we would like to head up there but it's a logistical and a very expensive thing."

Mr Heard said he had been "in awe" of the "almost tangible" reaction to the week long exhibition in Bristol

Commodore Jake Moores, chairman of the Shrouds of the Somme, said he has been funding the project so far because it was "important for people to see what war is really about".

He said: "I've seen people in tears, saluting and standing to attention by it.

"I've put up quite a lot of money to put this on and I can't keep losing money but if we get somebody to sponsor it for us and help us with some of that funding - then I'd love to put it on somewhere else."