BATMAN has landed in Bury as part of an eye-catching spray paint mural which now adorns the side of a house in the town.

The comic book "caped crusader" character takes pride of a place in the imaginative Gotham City-themed artwork which has been created by spray paint artist James Bateman outside the property in James Street.

The mural was inspired by an art project and is now something of a local focal point and landmark.

James, aged 36, from Tottington, who runs his own spray paint art business, explained: "My fiancee is friends with Michelle Claire who lives in the house. Her daughter, Rhianan Florence is an art student at Bury College.

"She and other students were given an art project entitled 'The Journey' and had to come up with an idea to fit that theme. I was asked if I would do a painting of Gotham City on the side of the house. It took be 10 hours to complete, over two days."

Rhianan took pictures throughout the work as part of her college project and these will be used either to create a Gotham model or to reconstruct photographic images of the mural, but on a far smaller scale.

"Both Michelle and Rhianan absolutely adore comics like DC and Marvel," added James." They are happy with what I've created. When I was carrying out the work, a numb er of people stopped to inquire what was going on. The feedback has been very positive. The artwork will stay for as long as Michelle and Rhianan want it."

The former soldier,continued: "I've been doing art since I was eight or nine and when I left the Army, it was this which kept me calm. It was something I could focus on instead of stressing about the military."

James has now launched his own company, Odinsonsprayart.