CREATIVE Clarets stars Michael Duff and Wade Elliot have sculpted miniature models which are now part of a Burnley school’s ‘clay community’.

The football stars fashioned a number of figures to add to Hameldon Community College’s vast collection, which forms the central display at the newly- unveiled £22million school, off Coal Clough Lane.

Characters created by the duo will be used as prizes during the school year, along with signed photographs of the models.

It is hoped each of the 500 models created by the footballers and pupils will eventually become collectors’ items.

Jane Leech, head of art at the school, said: I think it’s been great. Everyone who has been involved has been really keen and enthusiastic.

“The kids have loved it. They’ve adopted one of the models called Claude and are hoping to take him around the world when they go on holiday and that sort of thing. That was completely their own idea.”

Art students at the school were inspired by Turner Prize-winning sculptor Antony Gormley, probably best known as the designer of the Angel of the North, who was behind Asian Field, an installation of 180,000 small clay figurines.

The students set about creating the ‘Hameldon Clay Community’ last year.

Every pupil, along with the footballers and other members of the local community, were invited to make their own unique model.