Many people would do anything to deflect attention from their facial features. But regulars at the Beehive pub in Old Town have had all their quirky traits exaggerated and put on public display.

BHAVANI VADDE and FLICKY HARRISON report on a new art display.

IF you nip into the Beehive pub in Swindon and reckon some of the sketches on the walls look a bit familiar, it could be because the subjects may be sitting close by.

Swindon artist Fred Blunt has just completed a set of caricatures of the locals in his favourite watering hole.

The permanent collection of 60 sketches were unveiled in front of a packed bar at the pub on Prospect Hill.

Fred, 28, from Old Town, said: "The pictures are all regulars, those who are the fixtures and fittings of the pub."

Many of his models are the artist's close friends. but he says .

"They are OK about having their caricatures done at least, they are after a few pints,'' said Fred. "People have been on at the landlord for a while to get me to do the pictures.

"It took me a year to complete them."

The caricatures are hung all round the pub giving visitors the chance to 'spot the local'.

Fred says it was not a problem drawing his friends and luckily has not managed to offend any of them because of his sketches.

"It makes it easier if they are friends because I know their mannerisms,'' he said.

But he admitted finding it difficult drawing himself and his girlfriend his Clare Gearon.

"I tried to see myself as others would perceive me," he said. "That was quite hard so I had to study a lot of drunken photos of myself."

Fred went to Churchfields School and studied at Swindon College of Art and Design before gaining a BA degree at Bristol at the University of the West of England.

During his final year, Sussex firm Design Line spotted his creations and a commission from card giant Athena resulted in Fred designing the popular Pop Art series of cards.

A friend of pop star Robbie Williams sent the singer one for his birthday and Robbie was so impressed he wanted to buy the original artwork. Fred gave him the artwork in return for tickets to see Robbie's Wembley concert.

More recently Fred did the character design for a BBC animation programme.

The artist designed 100 pop star-style short animations while professional comedians did the voice-overs.

"It was on one of the digital channels, Play UK, a comedy and music channel,'' he said. "Basically I did all the production drawings."

He has also just completed work on the illustrations for a children's book called What's For Dinner?, written by Robert Swindells.

Beehive landlord Andy Marcer hopes regulars will enjoy laughing and marvelling at each other's pictures while they sup their favourite tipple.

He said: "We have always had photos of the regulars above the bar, either photos or caricatures.

"The last ones were five or six years old so it was time for a change.

"Fred has a growing reputation and he is a local artist so he was the obvious person to do them."

Prints of the caricatures are being sold at £25 and £10 of the proceeds will be donated to Hope and Aid, a charity that takes aid to Bosnia.

PICTURED: Chris Vandrill, 28, a fashion designer from Old Town, said: "It's great. We all sit in this corner having a laugh and joking about and that's what Fred's shown in the sketches. He shows me with a fag in my hand which is pretty accurate.

"I like what he has done with my hair it is better than my real hair."