South Shields youngster's Lego Lambton Worm idea draws judges' admiration

To tie-in with the #BrickMetro public LEGO® build at The Word in South Shields over the holidays, Tyne and Wear Metro launched a competition asking local children to design and colour in a futuristic Metrocar.

More than 200 took on the challenge and submitted a creative and brightly coloured array of entries which were inspired by everything from football and farm animals, to famous landmarks.

The winner of the competition is Samuel Kinsey, eight, from South Shields, whose design, based on the famous Lambton Worm, was a favourite with the judges.

Samuel said: “I felt really pleased and happy when my mam told me that I had won the competition.

“I wanted my Metro to look like a snake-type creature as I think they look like snakes when they go along the Metro tracks.”

Samuel’s dad, Alan, said: “When Samuel started to colour in his Metro, he said he was doing a snake, so I suggested he do the Lambton Worm to give his Metro a North East theme.

“Samuel chose green and yellow for his worm, with snakes eyes and scales added to the design.

“He was really pleased with his finished piece and excited to enter it into the competition.”

Samuel’s mum, Michelle, said: “We’re thrilled to bits that Samuel’s design was chosen as a winner and he’s been so excited to receive his very own version of his design.

“Samuel loves to colour in and draw, and it’s lovely to see his artwork and imagination brought to life.

“I’m not a fan of snakes so wasn’t keen on his ‘snake’ idea for the Metro, but his dad’s suggestion for the Lambton Worm brought to life Samuel’s interpretation of what the Lambton Worm would have looked like. We’re very proud of him.”

Renowned LEGO® architect Steve Mayes – aka BrickThis – lent his support as a judge and selected the winning design, which has now been made into a custom-made LEGO® model and presented to Samuel as a prize.

Steve said: “I loved looking through the entries to the competition and it was a tough choice to pick a winner, but Samuel’s entry was so imaginative that I couldn’t resist trying to recreate it in LEGO®. I hope I have done it justice!”

Metro, Steve and a host of young master builders helped build the 91st Metrocar – the first new Metro to be built for nearly four decades – as part of a summer holiday Big Build challenge.

Tickets for the #BrickMetro Big Build sessions sold out in less than seven hours and the completed LEGO® model of the three-metre Metrocar is now on display at The Word.

Nexus is currently seeking to replace the Metrocar fleet as the central part of a £1billion investment programme over the next two decades.

A detailed business case for has been presented to the Department for Transport (DfT).