Crane needed to complete scrap metal giraffe

The creators of a 13m (43ft) tall sculpture of a giraffe, made from scrap metal, have appealed for a crane to enable them to finish it.

The British Ironworks Centre in Shropshire, famous for its Knife Angel that continues to tour the UK, said it was its largest sculpture to date.

Once complete, it will be made from 10,000 pieces of unwanted auto parts, painted with orange and white giraffe markings.

It will also stand twice the height of the world's tallest living giraffe, 12-year-old Forest, who lives at Australia Zoo in Queensland and over 10m (32.8ft) taller than the UK's current tallest sculpture.

Clive Knowles, the centre's founder, said he hoped their giraffe could claim a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest recycled sculpture in the UK.

"It would be phenomenal if we get the Guinness Book of Records to recognise it as a world record," he said.

"I think if they didn't, that would really cut us to the core but that wouldn't dampen us - we'd just find the next thing and do something even bigger next year.

"This is something we're going to chase down and we will eventually succeed with."

The UK's current tallest giraffe sculpture is in Edinburgh Zoo and stands at a height of 2.4m (7.9ft).

Knowles said he hoped a local business could help out by supplying a crane, to get the centre's work completed.

If one could be found quickly, he said they hoped to have the sculpture ready for this summer's school holidays.

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