Sculptor turns tables on audience to chip in for Meadowhall birthday

He set about his latest work, the Many Faces of Meadowhall, with the objective of carving 20 faces into the two tonne piece of stone used for the work.

His inspiration for the subject was the many faces of curious visitors who turned up to watch him alongside a more familiar artwork on show within the centre, the large brass figures of steelworkers.

Mr Vickers, who lives at Dungworth, works from a yard in north Sheffield and he uses the professional name Stoneface.

His work has become increasingly well known in Sheffield since he started carving stone as an amateur, with many villages using his carvings as public art.

He has also been called in by Sheffield Council to create the city's new war memorial.

Meadowhall was built on the site of a former steelworks alongside the M1 and became instantly popular with shoppers after its opening in September 1990. Its combination of hundreds of shops on the same site, with thousands of free car parking spaces, provided a new experience for many visitors.

Celebrations of the anniversary have included appearances by television celebrities.