A lifelong Haworth resident hopes to be coining it in for next summer’s Tour de France Grand Depart.

But sculptor Craig Dyson’s intentions are artistic rather than financial. He wants to build a 20ft-high sculpture – made from tens of thousands of two-pence coins!

Mr Dyson, 23, said he could not yet reveal the precise design of his proposed piece of public artwork. He is currently in the process of putting a bid together to Welcome to Yorkshire for one of four major art commissions as part of the build-up to the Grand Depart.

“It’s still very early stages,” he said. “But I’ve been given permission by Her Majesty’s Treasury to use current two-pence coins as sculpture material.

“This will mean the public will be able to contribute towards creating the sculpture. There will be thousands and thousands of these coins, and I am going to be looking for community involvement.

“But it’s not the money that motivates me. This is one of the biggest opportunities Yorkshire has had recently to showcase the arts, and there’s real potential to leave behind a very positive legacy.”

Mr Dyson has a gallery and workshop next to Haworth Railway Station. He also runs sculpture workshops in primary schools, and was among winners in this year’s Keighley Business Awards.