Giant chalk carving sends election signal to local motorists

5.23.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Apr 2005

A striking chalk carving on a hillside beside the busy A350 is one Wiltshire farmer's way of urging passing motorists to vote Liberal Democrat in next week's election.

"I'm supporting Duncan Hames, the Liberal Democrat candidate here, because I think the Liberal Democrats are best for the environment" says Mark.

Mark Houghton-Brown, whose family has farmed at Pertwood, near Warminster, for generations, created the 180ft high Liberal Democrat logo in one of his fields last weekend.

Mark says: "I'm supporting Duncan Hames, the Liberal Democrat candidate here, because I think the Liberal Democrats are best for the environment. I hope that drivers will see the Lib Dem bird in my field and think about who they will vote for".

"Here in Wiltshire we are famous for our long history of chalk carvings. This new contribution connects our history with our future."

The bird was made by using a laser to project the Lib Dem logo onto the hillside at dusk. The outline was then traced onto the ground before the figure was dug out.