Creative florist celebrates Valentine's Day by spelling out 'Love' using mannequin parts

A florist has created a special 'love letter' using mannequin parts to make motorists smile as they drive along an A road.

Helen Chambers and husband Hamuda have made the big gesture to celebrate Valentine's Day by creating the unusual display.

She sourced the body parts from Roz Edwards, of Mannakin in Fulbeck, who has up to 20,000 shop dummies that have been saved from landfill.

Now these mannequins have found a new home along the A16 near Spalding where they are making a political statement as well as a Valentine's Day message.

An entire mannequin is used to make the upright of the L, while limbs are linked for the O and V and torsos make various struts of the E.

Helen, who owns Evolve Flowers in Pinchbeck, is also hoping that the installation will raise awareness of the challenges faced by horticulture industry following Brexit.

She said: "I thought everyone could do with a good laugh.

"As we are located parallel to the A16 I thought it could be something to make people smile as they drove past.

"The installation illustrates our need for recognition as an industry which must have government support - we are not on the radar despite being economic value bigger than the music industry. We have been immensely disappointed by the lack of grants or funding for a sector that has huge potential post Brexit."

The mannequins had been diverted from landfill and were supplied by Mannakin in Fulbeck.

There, owner Roz has more than 20,000 dummies and sells them sometimes for over £600 each. She once hired a stack of dummies to Lady Gaga for a music video.

The former retail consultant had lived in Malawi for ten years but found her business on the brink of failure when the recession hit.

She previously invited punters to a “drive-thru heist” where they could pay £50 to take as many mannequin body parts as they liked in 15 minutes and hosted a ghoulish Halloween walk.

Helen was supported in the project by friend Susan Foyster, of Past Imperfect.

She said “I thought Helen was pulling my leg - she is so passionate about selling British Flowers and rather mad too.”