A retired teacher who painted pebbles for people to find during lockdown has now created a permanent memorial.

Sandee Sledmere started painting stones and hiding them around the village of Otley for children to find on their daily exercise during lockdown.

After people said the painted pebbles had cheered them up she painted more and more.

“They disappeared as soon as you put them out,” she said.

Then she encouraged children to paint their own – one boy painted the whole series of Mr. Men – and held a competition.

Now she has created a memorial from 182 stones painted by people from the village which are set in concrete next to the village surgery.

She said: “I thought if we could build a permanent Covid-19 memorial plaque then it would be something to remember in the future. It’s there now to remind us all of what we in the village did during the pandemic.”