CHILDREN have been asked to design the 36ft star attraction at Oxford’s biggest bonfire night.

Artist Dan Barton is encouraging pupils to design a giant wicker man, to burn at South Park’s firework display, this autumn.

The oak and steel framed creation will go up in flames in front of thousands of spectators at the Oxford Round Table event on November 6.

It will be the fifth year a wickerman will be burned at the popular family event. And at 36 feet tall and eight feet wide, Mr Barton, 40, wants to make the structure bigger than ever before.

He also plans to showcase it at events and festivals across Oxfordshire in the run up to the Guy Fawkes event.

Last year, seven-year-old Joshua Webb’s 26ft Ice Princess design was picked – and subsequently torched.

Mr Barton, of Fyfield Wick, near Abingdon, said: “We’ve brought the whole competition forward this year and we’re trying to get as many schools, nurseries, scouting organisations, hospitals, library groups and anyone else who wants to be involved to come up with designs.

“There will be two winners – the person who designs the external wickerman, and the designer of an internal steel sculpture, which will be a secret until the wicker burns away.

“The competition ends in March and I want to build it by May and go on tour between May and October.”

He added: “We are hoping to take it to places like the Newbury Show, Cornbury Festival, Blenheim Palace, into the centre of Oxford, and to the side of the M40, up on the hill near Stokenchurch.

“Hopefully it will encourage more people to go to the fireworks.”

Mr Barton said the design should be based on a mythical character and would be made out of wooden lathes and straw.

Actor Robert Hardy, who plays Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter films, and is chairman of ROSY, a charity which provides respite for sick and terminally ill children in Oxfordshire, will be one of the competition’s judges.

Winners will receive a cash prize for their school or organisation.

Father-of-two Mr Barton, who restores historic buildings, said: “I’ve come to the conclusion that people are just fascinated by fire. People can watch it for hours and it has an amazing wow factor.”

In a bid to boost the profile of the contest and the event, Mr Barton will be selling Wicker Man Oxford merchandise, including t-shirts, mugs and masks to help ROSY.

He is also looking for a company to sponsor the event, volunteers to give administrative help and local celebrity judges to join the judging panel.

Anyone interested in either publicising the competition or encouraging children to get involved should go to wickermanoxford.co.uk To enter, send your design to Wicker Man Oxford, PO Box 582 Abingdon, OX14 9FJ before Wednesday, March 31.