A STRAW sculpture of Big Ben has been built in a field.

The replica is dominating the rural landscape and attracting a lot of interest from passers-by.

It can be seen from the A51, at Hurleston in Cheshire.

This is the 11th year the director of Snugburys Ice Cream, Chris Sadler, has gone into partnership with Mike Harper, of nearby Harbrook Engineering to make a straw folly.

The sculptures are meant to celebrate summer and are made from straw and a steel frame.

Mr Sadler, aged 56, said: "It is 150 years since Big Ben was built so we wanted to commemorate the occasion.

"It looks stunning and is particularly impressive at night when it is flood-lit and the clock face also lights up.

Article continues below

"The sculpture was completed on Saturday and will stay up until after Christmas. The clock face is about two metres wide and is an exact working copy of the real thing.

"It costs a lot of money so we have a fence around it with security manning it. There is also an alarm which is activated if anyone tries to climb up it."

Snugburys has also made Big Ben shaped ice cream cones to accompany the sculpture.

A proportion of the cost of each cone goes to the Kids Company charity which helps vulnerable inner-city children.