A STUDENT from the Isle of Wight has had her educational sculpture displayed at London Bridge station after winning a national competition.

Maddy Higgs, 21, who studies at Bournemouth University, had her bee sculpture unveiled at the station on Monday (July 26).

The competition was run by the Bee Friendly Trust, and received entries from hundreds of designers and artists of all ages and experience.

Maddy said: "I entered the competition in January during lockdown while I was home schooling my younger sister.

"I was interested in the meaning behind the sculpture especially as my family keep bees, and I thought why not give it a go?

"I was shocked when I won, a couple of months had passed and it had actually slipped my mind!

"I worked with the Bee Friendly Trust to develop the design and figure out how it could be manufactured with minimal impact on the environment, while being strong enough to withstand the stresses of being homed in the middle of a busy London station.

"The process has really got me thinking about where I want to take my career once I'm finished."

The Bee Friendly Trust said Maddy's idea stood out from other innovative entries for the strong message it gave and clever use of recycled materials.

Created by a company called Amalgam, the sculpture was sponsored by an English wine company called The Uncommon, along with Network Rail and the Trust itself.

In the shape of an hour glass, the recycled plastic pellets signify pollen and take four minutes to drop through.

This represents the time it takes for the planet to lose another species of plant or animal life, according to Unesco.

The plan is it will be turned daily at midday.