Long arm of the straw slows speeding drivers

As Stalmine celebrates its Scarecrow Festival, one neighbour, Allison Haslem, has taken the opportunity to create a life-sized hay-made traffic cop on Mill Lane in an effort to slow down speeding motorists.

The amusing scarecrow is just one of around 30 that have popped up as the village celebrates its first Festival Week.

There is also a group of scarecrow fracking workers, a straw fireman rescuing a kitten from a roof and even a ‘haircrow’ outside the local salon.

Postmaster and residents’ association member Peter Swarbrick said: “The scarecrows have created a buzz around the village.”