Wolverhampton construction firm puts smiles on faces with unique mural of the Queen

Staff at Genius Facades, Colliery Road, erected a mural of Queen Elizabeth II around 10 feet high, measuring one-and-a-half by two metres.

It was created by making holes of varying sizes in a piece of aluminium to form a detailed portrait, a method which makes it most distinctive.

Production director Richard Bland said it was a huge team effort, and seeing smiling faces as people walk by is what they did it for.

Taking them just a couple of days to perfect, Richard believes Her Majesty "deserves nothing but the best".

The 39-year-old said: "We wanted to express, as a company, our tribute to the Queen. Seeing passers by enjoying it is enough for me."

Richard thanked the team who carefully produced the mural including his two colleagues, Phil Salt and Nick Fellows, and his father Gary.

"A lot of people within the company are royalists and support them, and came up with the idea as a team," he said. "It's a tight-knit company, some of us have grown up with each other, some have been friends and colleagues for over ten years now. Just talking to each other, we can tell it has impacted people a lot.

"It's almost as if you've lost a family member, someone that was always there. You feel like something is missing. Everyone is feeling it - not just in this company, but across the country.

"I hope it brings the nation closer together."

Richard and his father intend on keeping the mural up for has long as possible.

"Aluminium isn't the kind of material that breaks down," Richard said. "We can have it up for quite some time and enjoy it."