A KINVER businessman is now the proud owner of one of Birmingham's Big Sleuth bears which were sold off for charity after the city's summer art project came to a close.

Terry Gormley, owner of Chenevare Mews, managed to get his hands on one of the brightly coloured giant bears after they were auctioned off by Fieldings Auctioneers, of Stourbridge, at Birmingham's Thinktank on October 12.

Mr Gormley, aged 79, said: "I've developed the shopping mews and I'm so proud of it but I'm always looking for anything to make it more attractive.

"When I saw these bears going up for auction I thought I'd love one of those - being an ex-Brummie - so I registered for the auction. It was a spur of the moment thing."

A number had already been sold by the time he signed up but Mr Gormley managed to put in a successful bid for Liverpudlian artist Guy McKinley's Sunny bear which was located at Birmingham's mac arts centre in Canon Hill Park as part of The Big Sleuth trail.

Mr Gormley paid £1,900 for the striking six-foot sculpture which has now become something of an attraction at his village shopping mews which he developed out of a former bed and breakfast/skittles alley more than a decade ago.

He said: "It looks absolutely brilliant. Everybody loves it. The fact that I've got one I'm absolutely delighted. It's all for charity and it's such a good cause."

The sale of the Big Sleuth bears has raised more than £250,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.