IF you were driving past Five Oaks Dairy yesterday morning you might have thought Bonfire Night was being celebrated rather late in St Saviour.

But the burning 12-foot pyre at the edge of the field opposite the Dairy was not for toasting effigies of Guy Fawkes – it was a sculpture in the making.

Inspired by the work of contemporary British environmental artist David Nash, local sculptor Carl Danby decided to turn a decayed horse chestnut tree into sculpture through the medium of fire.

With the help of tree expert Nick Armstrong, a pyramid of wood was built around the stripped-down, hollowed-out remains of the storm-blasted tree.

Set alight, it made an impressive sight, throwing tongues of orange flame into the air.

As the firewood burned away the final tree sculpture slowly began to reveal itself to a small group of onlookers.

Just under an hour later the smoking embers were being hosed down and the finished shape could be admired – much to the relief of the artist.

There is a huge creative risk in this form of sculpture – he could have ended up with nothing more than a frazzled stump.