A HOST of stars lined up to marvel at an award-winning display by a Dorset sculptor.

Simon Gudgeon, who with wife Monique owns Sculpture by the Lakes at Pallington near Dorchester, is exhibiting at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week where the couple's sculpture garden has come in for praise.

Their display received the highest accolade for a trade stand, the Five Star Trade Stand Award.

The stand features sculptures from Mr Gudgeon, integrated into a planting scheme by Mrs Gudgeon.

On Monday, celebrities including Dame Joan Collins, Hugh Bonneville, Chris Evans, Piers Morgan, Joanna Lumley, Anton Du Beke, Brendan Cole, John Sergeant and Esther Rantzen all admired the stand.

Sited in the sought-after Main Avenue next to gardens created by some of the world’s top designers, the stand features Mr Gudgeon's newest work, Firebird, a life-sized ballerina made from 1,500 bronze leaves, each one individually shaped and welded into place. The sculpture was inspired by working with principal ballerina Ksenia Ovsyanick.

Mr Gudgeon said: "I am delighted to have been awarded the Five Star Trade Stand Award from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

"There is so much work involved – planning, designing, creating and making the stand itself and winning this award makes it all the more worthwhile."

The sculpture garden is spilt into two levels and as well as new pieces including Firebird and Leaf Spirit, the stand also includes several other life-sized sculptures and a bespoke indoor area to house smaller table top pieces.

This year the planting scheme designed by Mrs Gudgeon relies a lot more on colour to highlight the beauty of the patination to be found in the sculpture.

Those unable to get the Chelsea can see Mr Gudgeon's monumental sculptures at Sculpture by the Lakes, a 26-acre site which is open throughout the year.