Sapper sculpture installed in HQ

A British Army regiment has marked its move into a new home with a 6ft (1.8m) tall sculpture of one of its rank.

The Royal Engineers Sapper was carved from the trunk of a beech tree by a sculptor in Lancashire's Ribble Valley.

But it has now been erected in the entrance to 75 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers) headquarters in Warrington, Cheshire.

As well as marking their move into the barracks, the statue also commemorates the regiment's 40th anniversary.

Martyn Bednarczuk, 52, of Barrow, near Whalley, Lancashire, took 11 months to create the piece, using a chainsaw and chisel.

Lt Colonel Sean Harris, the regiment's commanding officer, said Mr Bednarczuk had created a "beautiful piece".

He said: "75 Engineer Regiment moved its headquarters last year from Manchester to Warrington and inherited an infantry barracks.

"It was very important in stamping our identity in the area that we looked at commissioning a piece with Martyn which was very specifically Royal Engineers."

Private soldiers in the Royal Corps of Engineers are known as Sappers.