A LOCAL artist has expressed her pride at being invited to help promote New Brighton’s latest attraction – the Mermaid Trail.

Anita Cunningham of Fat Cat Illustration has worked in collaboration with the New Brighton Coastal Community Team to design the official map for the Mermaid Trail set to be launched next month.

Anita said: “I am Wallasey born and bred so I’ve seen New Brighton go from a virtual ghost town to its present day revival.

“It’s great to see it so busy all the time.

“There is a good sense of community spirit here and I feel proud to be part of this.”

The Trail map will form the centre-piece of a guide leaflet promoting the Trail which will see a set of six identical mermaid statues installed in key locations across New Brighton.

They have each been individually decorated, five of them by schools and a community group, and one by the local artist who designed and sculptured the statues, Barry Canning-Eaton.

Anita added: “I started drawing maps unintentionally really.

“I think the idea came to me after seeing a map of New Brighton and I thought it was a bit boring.

“With just a vague plan in mind, I began to draw some local landmarks and it all seemed to fall into place from there.

“It turned out a lot better than I imagined it would.

“I’ve always loved to draw and have studied various art courses in Liverpool and Wirral Met.

“It was only after graduating from the Fine Art degree that I realised illustration was more my cup of tea.”

The map and guide will be available for £1 from local shops and businesses across New Brighton, including Championship Adventure Golf, Floral Pavilion, Literally a Bookshop and Caffe Cream.

The Mermaid Trail has been funded thanks to a successful bid for a grant from the Burbo Bank Extension Community Fund.