A GIANT sea serpent has slithered its way into a Swindon school.

The snake sculpture was unveiled at Lawn Junior School yesterday by South Swindon MP Julia Drown.

The steel sculpture has been built by community artist Gordon Dickinson on top of a mystery piece of wall at the Windsor Road school.

No-one knows why, but when the school was built, part of a wall was erected by the entrance.

Now, with the help of Gordon and his No Added Sugar community art group, the wall has been turned into a slice of sea.

And on top of the ocean, three coils of a roaring Loch Ness type beast can be seen, its head thrown back, showing off a set of razor sharp teeth, made from pieces of mirror. And a hole in the wall is now home to a fish sculpture.

Gordon based the serpent on designs drawn up by around 300 pupils as part of a technology week in February.

It took him three weeks to bring the creature to life in the garden of his Purton home.

Gordon and business partner Toni Robinson also visited the school to help pupils cover the wall with broken tiles.

And youngsters used plaster to make smaller sea creatures, which are on display in the school entrance.

Gordon said: "We had lots of fantastic designs.

"It had to be designed with weight and balance taken into consideration, so some of what the children came up with wouldn't have worked."

Ms Drown was certainly impressed with the creation.

She said: "It's amazing and I'm pleased so many children were involved.

"It makes a very striking entrance to the school."

Jan Hobbes, deputy head and arts co-ordinator at the school, said: "The children are very proud of it.

"It's the first thing they will see when they come into the school grounds."

Despite its scary appearance, children soon warmed to their new friend.

Daljeet Chahal, 10, said: "It's really nice and I like the colours."

Laura Rothwell, nine, said: "I will enjoy seeing it every day and I really liked helping to make it."

Philip Broadway, eight, said: "I don't think it's too scary it's great."