Sheffield: Artist's 'Britpop-inspired' mural honours Queen

The artwork has been popular with visitors who want to take their photo in front of it

A "Britpop-inspired" mural in honour of Queen Elizabeth II has been created by a South Yorkshire artist.

Paul Staveley, 60, from Sheffield, painted the artwork at the city's Steel Yard Kelham events space.

Staff at the venue said since it was unveiled it had become a visitor attraction, with people taking photos of themselves in front of the artwork.

Mr Staveley said: "It's quite sad really. I'm not particularly a royalist, but my mum loved her."

He said he had spent two hours painting the mural - a black-and-white picture of Her Majesty against the union flag - in the rain on Friday following the news of the Queen's death the previous day.

Paul Staveley said he wanted to create a Britpop-inspired artwork

Mr Staveley started his career as an illustrator and has since painted murals in venues across Yorkshire.

He said he wanted to create a memorial to the Queen inspired by the famous Britpop explosion in the 1990s, which included bands such Oasis, Blur and Sheffield's very own Pulp.

Mr Staveley said one of his strong childhood memories was a visit by the Queen to South Yorkshire which he attended with his mum.

"I remember I went to see her in Rotherham when I was about 10," he said.

Ryan MacDonald, general manager at the Steel Yard Kelham, said: "We are quite big royalists down here. Everyone is loving [the artwork]."

The team at the venue was left "devastated" by the Queen's death and Mr Staveley's artwork was "here to stay", Mr MacDonald said.