By Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Pupils from three city schools will join forces with a local artist to help create a sculpture for Burslem Park inspired by the lifecycle of the mayfly.

Artist Philip Hardaker, who will work with sculptor Andrew Edwards, will visit Jackfield Infant School, Moorpark Junior School and Haywood High School to get students' input into the project.

Students will work with Philip to create tiles to tell their part of the lifecycle of the mayfly which will be displayed as part of the sculpture.

The work forms part of the current restoration project, supported by £2m awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund, through their Parks for People programme in 2010.

Councillor Janine Bridges, cabinet member for city services, said: "Burslem Park has been subject to a large programme of restoration work and we are now in the final stages of bringing this fantastic public space back to life.

"Once complete, this statue will be a focal point in the park and will give our young people the chance to be part of something lasting in the city."

Initial designs for the sculpture had been created during a consultation event and work with schools in 2009; part of the restoration project's initial development phase. The finished piece will occupy an original Victorian plinth, which has been unoccupied since the early 1960s which once housed a statue of a water nymph.

The restoration project is set for completion this summer and has already transformed the park, with restoration work undertaken to Victorian terracotta work, the park's gates and entrances, formal garden area, pathways, lake, shelters and pagoda. The park pavilion has also been restored as well as fully refurbished toilets and baby changing facilities. Over 35,000 new plants are being introduced, alongside 72 new trees.