The curtain may be set to fall on Fiddler's Ferry Power Station, but a local artist  has been capturing its unique look for future generations.

Shaun Smyth has been working on a project documenting the closure and decommissioning of the iconic power station which has dominated the skyline along the Mersey estuary for decades.

The power plant closed in March 2020 after almost 50 years and Shaun spent two years helping to document its decommissioning alongside photographer Lee Harrison.

Deaf since the age of two, Shaun hails from Runcorn and studied art at what was then Halton College before earning a degree in Fine Art and says the station was an ever-present landmark during his childhood.

He now teaches at Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy in Runcorn and has won praise for his work, which has also included pieces inspired by the Mersey Gateway Bridge.  A member of Manchester Academy of Fine Arts (MAFA), he planned three projects centred on the station, focussing on how it was when it was operational, its demolition and derelict years, and finally - how it will be regenerated into something new.

Runcorn and Widnes World: Pieces previously exhibited in Warrington marked the working life and decommissioning of the stationPieces previously exhibited in Warrington marked the working life and decommissioning of the station (Image: Shaun Smyth)

He said: “The station forms part of my early memories of childhood, having the opportunity to artistically document the power station's remaining years to its decommissioning has been very much a privilege and an honour.

"Having been brought up in Runcorn, I am proud to be part of recording and preserving this iconic site’s industrial heritage."

His popular Fiddler's Ferry: Cloud Factory exhibition was previously on display at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery and was featured on television.

His next exhibition is entitled Fiddler's Ferry: From the Ashes and is due to be held at World of Glass in St Helens next summer.

He added: “I feel this is an important part of the North West’s history and links to industry.

"I have recently introduced a poet and a sculptor to the project, and we are looking creatively how the scrap onsite can be used to create new paintings and sculptures linked to the site's industrial past to preserve its heritage.”

The iconic landmarks is set to be demolished with explosives on Sunday, December 3, with charity raffle winner Grace Taylor being given the honour of pressing the button on the day.