A GIANT mural of punk legend Mark E Smith is being painted on the side of a chippy in Prestwich.

The former frontman of The Fall lived in the village for most of his life, and died in January, aged 60.

He is now being commemorated as part of Prestwich Arts Festival, which is taking place this weekend.

Work on the artwork, which will adorn the side of Chips@No.8, in Clifton Road, began on Saturday and will be completed this weekend.

The mural, which depicts Smith in typically snarling fashion, has been designed by renowned graffiti artist Akse P19, who has joined forces with the festival to create a lasting tribute to the musician.

Akse has painted a number of graffiti portraits across Manchester, including ones of David Bowie and Tony Wilson in the Northern Quarter, which have gained him a following around the world.

He says he hopes his latest design will be appreciated by the local community.

To complement the new mural, Prestwich-based artist Myro Doodles will also be creating a doodle trail of Fall lyrics at festival venues, crowdsourced via The Fall fanclub.

Jane Thomson, chair of Prestwich Arts Festival said: “There have been six local members of the community who have funded the materials and donated the cherry picker to make it happen, as well as Akse P19 donating his time for free.

"We’re incredibly honoured to have such a well-respected and talented artist be involved in our festival and enable us to doff our proverbial cap to local legend Mark E Smith in this way.”

Prestwich Arts Festival runs on Saturday and Sunday with partner venue events happening this week. Visit www.prestwichartsfestival.co.uk for full listings.