IF YOU happen to be walking along Cowes seafront you may wonder who created a colourful lighthouse sculpture on display for all to see — and the great significance of why it was made.

Over this summer, the Southampton Hospitals Charity has been 'Lighting up the South', with a large-scale public art event that "promises to captivate your senses and ignite your imagination".

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The charity has been displaying 40 lighthouse sculptures, all of them 8ft tall, through the streets and public spaces of Southampton and Cowes.

If you are taking in the sights and unique atmosphere of Cowes Week, walking along Cowes Parade, you won't miss the multi-coloured lighthouse on display.

Each lighthouse created by artists has its own unique design.

There are also a further 40 'mini' lighthouses, designed by local education groups, "creating a family-friendly trail of discovery for visitors and residents to enjoy and explore," the charity says.

The lighthouses will eventually be displayed together for a 'farewell week' from September 13, offering the chance to see all the lighthouses gathered together in one place.

It's organiser predict it will be "a truly unique sight".

The sculptures will then go under then hammer to raise vital funds for Southampton Children’s Hospital, at the Southampton International Boat Show, on September 20.

The auctioneer on the day will be television celebrity Natasha Raskin Sharp, of Bargain Hunt.