‘My Minions artwork brightens people’s day’

A street artist who has painted bollards to look like “Minions” from the Despicable Me films said they had proved popular with the community.

Martin Withers said he came up with the idea to brighten up the bollards on Kenyon Way, Little Hulton, Salford, as they were the same shape as the yellow cartoon characters.

“I have lived round here for over 20 years and I have always seen these stumps but it’s not the nicest thing to look at when it’s all dirty,” he said.

“They are the shape of a minion and it just brightens up people’s day. A lot of people have said they love coming past here.”

Mr Withers said some residents had even donated money to enable him to buy paint to do more Minions.

He said that one day he “wasn’t in the best of moods and I thought why am I even doing this”, but then an older man stopped in a car and said he thought they were “wonderful”.

“I went home and I thought, that’s the reason why I do it,” he added.

One resident said: “The kids love them. They are great.”

Another resident said: “Each time, I pass them, they put a big smile on my face.”

Salford City Council told the BBC the addition to the community was not causing an issue.

They added that altering road signs, however, would have legal consequences.