Artist unveils 525ft mural inspired by pupils

A street artist has worked with pupils on a huge 525ft (160m) nature-themed mural designed to encourage more children to cycle or walk to school. The hand-painted mural is thought to be one of the longest of its kind in the country.

Paul Curtis, whose previous Merseyside murals include depictions of Olympian Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Paralympian Jack Hunter-Spivey, was commissioned to transform a "dingy" path between two schools in Bootle.

Schoolchildren from Thomas Gray Primary and All Saints Primary came up with the nature-inspired designs after describing the route as graffiti-covered and surrounded by litter.

Curtis said pupils appeared happy with the result. "The kids will be honest with their reviews and they seem to like it, so that's one box ticked," he said.

Sam Turner, schools neighbourhood officer for Sefton Council, said the mural was created as part of the Bootle North Park School Neighbourhoods project, in collaboration with the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.

"His inspiration was absolutely the designs that the children put together and they're so pleased with it," Turner said.

Curtis said the project was unlike his usual work on gable-end murals.

It was "like painting a ribbon", he said, forcing him to work on several images at once and weave them together.

"It brings a little bit of positivity to the area," he added.

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