COMMUTERS at St Helens Central Railway Station will be able to admire a piece of artwork made of steel and copper which has been fixed to the Corporation Street arches next to the station.

The work tells the story of The Hotties section of the St Helens canal close to The World of Glass where warm waters enter from Pilkington glassworks. Local legend has it that some unwanted tropical fish were dumped in the canal in 1958 and thrived in the water.

This new piece of artwork will complement a series of banners which will be installed along Bickerstaffe Street. Both the artwork and the banners have been designed by the All About arts company with the help of students from St Helens College.

Groundwork project manager, Carl Smethurst, explained: "The images on the banners reflect fragments of life in St Helens town centre, ranging from transport, trade and industry to recreation and architecture. We hope the banners will highlight the route from the railway station to the bus station and shopping area and help to attract visitors into the town centre.

"There will be more improvements to this area in the next few years, but through this Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) scheme, we've been able to make a start on showing what a special place St Helens really is."

The new features are part of the Southern Corridor SRB Programme of improvements, under a project managed by the Groundwork Trust.