AN ART student has built a 20 foot ‘Angel of Blackburn’ with recycling materials.

The impressive structure was reveald as designer Wayne Hemingway launched a showcase of creative talent of the future at Blackburn College’s Art and Design show.

The Blackburn-raised former Red or Dead owner officially opened the flamboyant show where degree and college students showed off their artistic style on Wednesday.

There were students from textiles, photography, fine art and more displaying their final works for the public.

On show at the exhibition was an 20 foot sculpture created by Fine Art student Fred Flint, a selection of paintings by Bobby Tait and photographs by Shauna Robinson who highlighted mental health.

Recycling enthusiast Fred saved up hundreds of bottles for his final project to create a suspended winged figure which has inspired comparisons with the Angel of the North.

The 21-year-old, who is originally from Leicestershire, said: “My lecturer Steve Baldwin volunteers at Blackburn Rovers and they let me take the disused bottles after games.

“The idea was to represent rising out of a body into a new life, reusing plastic is about new life and new uses.

“I have had offers from PR companies so I am just waiting for something concrete as I don’t want to take it apart – I want it to be used in a productive way.”

Wayne, who was a former Blackburn College student, said: “It’s always good to come back to Blackburn as it’s where I grew up and I like to see Blackburn people doing well.”

John Harrison, head of School for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the College, said: “We invited a selection of employers, including Graham and Brown and TWP Graphic and Design company, to show off the entrepreneurial attitudes of our students.

“We are trying to regenerate and re-commercialise Blackburn and these young people are full of business ideas to do that.”

The students artwork can be purchased via Blackburn College’s student run art shop on the fourth floor of the Beacon Centre until Friday. The shop is open 9am to 4pm. For more information on Blackburn College and UCBC courses go to www.blackburn.ac.uk.