Thousands of well wishers and hundreds of messages - that was the overwhelming response to the Radstock nurse - a life size statue which appeared overnight in the town.

She took two weeks to craft and is based on a real-life critical care nurse Emma, 30, a relative of the Chairman of the local branch of the British Legion.

Writhlington's Martin Feeney, who is a trained black smith instructor has been wanting do something to celebrate the amazing work of the NHS since the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

Partly because of the family connections, but also as way of honouring all the work of the local medical staff and all the key workers in the RUH and all the local medical practices and hospitals .

His wife Andrea told Nub News: " Martin is a very modest man but he wanted to make something incredible to thank everyone. He was thinking about how to do that for some time and then he just went on and drew it free hand.

" It was based on Emma, down to the crocs she wears at work, and then he put it together with bits and pieces of metal we had hanging around in the garden."

The statue was taken down by Martin and his son and placed in the centre of the roundabout in Radstock (the one next to Proper Job) where it is creating an incredibly positive response.

Andrea said: " We have had thousands get in touch with us, and we have had all kinds of positive comments, our friend who is an ambulance driver saw it and had to drive twice around the roundabout to get a better look.

" It has been phenomenal, but most of all it did what Martin wanted, which was to get everyone realising what amazing work is being done.

" He set up the helpline for veterans and then he wanted to do something for the nurses and this is it. "

So far the local Royal British Legion site has had over 5,000 visits and over 800 messages of support.