A DORCHESTER artist has been commissioned to create a piece for the Weymouth Gateway site.

Andy Kirkby, who lives in Moreton near Dorchester, fought off competition from 38 other UK and international artists, with five being shortlisted to attend interviews at New Look's new offices on Mercery Road.

The public art work will sit at the new gateway site and welcome people to the development.

Organisers of the project say that the people of Weymouth and Portland will have its input into the scheme, with the artist planning a creative workshop in the near future to engage with local schoolchildren to share their ideas and make models, some of which will be shown at a public exhibition to be held in early March.

Mr Kirkby said he looking forward to meeting local people at a public meeting set to be held in January, where he hopes to gather important local key themes and aspirations for the design from the Weymouth and Portland community.

He said: “This initial creative engagement with local people has always been a vital part of my past projects, public art should be just that - 'public' - accessible and relevant to the location and its residents.”

More information about the project will be released in the New Year.