THE giant badger on a Prudhoe hillside is one of the Tyne Valley’s best known landmarks.

And now Haltwhistle has a comparable artwork, in the form of a giant bee overlooking the A69.

The bee, which is six metres long by eight metres wide, was built to highlight the nearby walking and cycle route between Haltwhistle and Rowfoot, and the importance of the path to wildlife.

The three-mile route is managed by national charity Sustrans. Volunteers from the charity worked with artist Bruce Parker to design and build the mosaic-style bee.

Danny Morris, Greener Greenways officer for Sustrans said: “The Haltwhistle route is fantastic for wildflowers and pollinators, so we wanted to make a bit of a statement about that and encourage people to explore the path.”

Volunteers will be laying wildflowers around the bee next month.