Amazing mural with a twist appears in Greater Manchester town

A huge new mural made entirely out of recycled bottletops has been unveiled in Stockport. The artwork, covering an 18 by four-metre wall facing the famous Air Raid Shelters in the town centre, has become the largest of its kind ever showcased in the UK.

Masterminded by local artist Caitlin Atherton, co-owner of local recycling community benefit society Plastic Shed, it has been handcrafted using recycled boards and around 80,000 plastic lids.

They were all collected and donated by local groups including local schools, colleges, nursing homes, cafes, offices, gyms, churches, restaurants, charities, and youth groups.

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Years in the planning, it was helped to get off the ground through support from bosses at the Merseyway Shopping Centre and has been fully funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The nature-themed mural, which depicts a number of animals and birds, was unveiled during last weekend's celebrations to mark the end of Stockport's stint as Greater Manchester Town of Culture which was the busiest weekend of the year for the town centre.

Artist Caitlin said: "I’ve had the idea of a bottle cap mural for many years now and it’s so exciting to finally see my vision come to life. I really have been overwhelmed by the level of support I have received in creating this piece.

"I’d like to give a special thank you to the members of the public who collected well over 80,000 bottle lids and to all the incredible businesses involved - the work people have put into this has really been amazing.”

“I also have to give a special mention to Optimaxx via Stockport Wickes who donated over 150,000 screws. With their donation, we were able to use a large