Star Wars Day: Stormtrooper projected on Orwell bridge

The images appeared on the Orwell Bridge, Suffolk, on Wednesday night, ahead of May the 4th, Star Wars day

A dancing Stormtrooper and lightsabers have been projected onto a bridge to mark Star Wars Day, May the 4th.

The images were shone on to the Orwell Bridge, just south of Ipswich, Suffolk, on Wednesday night.

Stuart Harris from Motion Mapping, Ipswich, who is a fan of the series, said two "really bright" projectors were used.

He said all the "uprights" of the bridge were "perfect for lightsabers, it was just a bit of fun".

The Star Wars Stormtrooper was seen moving in a specially created projection

"I had people messaging me saying, have you seen this, was this you?

"We weren't quite expecting this result," Mr Harris added.

Star Wars Day has been recognised since 1999, and each year fans like to mark the occasion with parties as well as being treated to premieres, official events, and special releases.

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew and Anthony Daniels on the set of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

"We're all Star Wars fans and May the 4th is generally quite a big day and I drive over The Orwell Bridge a couple of times a day and it kind of made sense really," Mr Harris said.

All the content created by 3D graphics, "just kind of came together nicely" and shone out between about 21:15 BST and 23:00.

Mr Harris said he found a layby, set it up and "people were stopping by and taking photos and videos and asking us what it was all about, everyone was loving it as they went past".

"We didn't announce that we were doing it."

It was a "guerrilla projection" and he did not ask for permission, he added.

Images will also be projected onto BT's site at Adastral Park in Martlesham, near Ipswich

Mr Harris, who has previously projected onto the Houses of Parliament and Stonehenge, said other similar images would be projected onto the BT Tower in Martlesham at about 21:15 on Thursday, with the permission of BT.