STAR Wars fan Steve Hird was not content with Christmas annuals and sticker books featuring his favourite film so he spent £2,400 to become Darth Vader!

Like millions of young people in 1977 who are now settling into their 30s, Steve Hird was captivated by Star Wars. And like the hordes of children who sent their parents to toy shops, Steve lapped up the huge array of merchandise which accompanied the original three movies.

Yet his appetite for all things Star Wars never died and, as fans this year waited for the return of the evil half-man-half-robot, he set his sights on a new present.

"It's funny, looking back I had quite a lot of the toys," says the 34-year-old video game artist. "And now I have got to this stage, as far as toys go, where I have the ultimate toy."

The ultimate toy is a full-sized Darth Vader suit which Steve bought from a Danish fan who painstakingly assembled the various parts that make up one of cinema's most well known characters.

The suit based on the character's look in the first movie even includes a voice changer to get the villain's deep growl and a speaker to repeatedly play his infamous breathing sound.

And the £2,400 outfit has earned him the biggest accolade for a Star Wars costuming enthusiast a seat on the UK Garrison, a group which raises thousands for charity each year with personal appearances.

The group is so highly regarded that Lucasfilm, the Hollywood giant which made the six Star Wars movies, hired it for the premiere of the most recent and final movie, Revenge of the Sith.

Just four Darth Vaders have earned a place at the group and the club rules are so strict Steve can't be photographed "beneath the mask" as it would spoil the illusion. Especially as the character beneath the armour in the movies is a burnt, limbless human. Steve, who lives in Railway Road, Nelson, and works for Electronic Arts in Warrington, said: "It takes away that element of suspense for the kids. It might seem a bit strict but it is all for a good reason. You get a lot of great feedback from the public, the kids think you are the real thing.

"You get kids who are scared of you but you also get parents who are from the same age group as myself who want to have their photograph taken with you to show their mates."

Since getting the suit in September, Steve has joined the Garrison at fundraising events throughout the UK, including one of the country's biggest memorabilia fairs, at the NEC.