A retired lorry driver from Cricklade has recycled plastic bottles to create a wall of 1,000 handmade poppies on his home for Remembrance Sunday.

And Barry Arthurs has even bigger plans for next year.

The 70-year-old of Westmill Lane made the stunning display by cutting off the bottoms of plastic bottles and painting them before attaching them to a camouflage net.

“I started off just making some for the porch, but eventually I kept going and ended up making 1,000. I’ve already started for next year,” he said.

“I wanted to do this because people put things up for Halloween and they do things for Bonfire Night but no one does for Remembrance and I wanted to show respect.

“We do so much for Halloween that it would be good to do more for Remembrance. Of course we have all the ceremonies, but no one really decorates their homes and I want to change that.”

“The older generation don’t really get interested in Halloween and so this is something for them.”

To create the display, Barry had to start making his poppies at the beginning of the year.

“It takes quite a long time to collect 1,000 bottles,” Barry added: “I had friends and family collecting them for me, I made 500 but realised that wasn’t enough so I had to keep going.

“I use any kind of bottle, it can be a squash bottle or a coke bottle, anything works.”

“It then took about a full day to put all of the poppies on to the net before hanging it up.”

Despite never having served in the armed forces, Barry is a member of the Royal British Legion and does his bit by selling poppies door-to-door for the annual Poppy Appeal.

He said: “It’s something I got into quite naturally. Some of my friends were in the forces and I searched all of the names on the Cricklade memorial and just became interested that way.

“If the British Legion ever want something done in Cricklade, I’m one of the ones that helps them plan and organise it.”

Although Barry made 1,000 poppies for this year, next year he has even bigger aspirations.

“I’ve already started making more,” Barry said: “I’ve got about 100 extra already.

“I’m looking to cover the whole front of the house next year and that’s probably going to take another thousand.

“I want to try and get children inspired and I want more people to remember what people have fought for.”

If you want to create your own poppies like Barry all you need is some red and black paint, some empty bottles, a camouflage net and plenty of spare time.