A bronze statue of animated penguin villain Feathers McGraw has been unveiled close to his arch enemies Wallace and Gromit. Crowds gathered in Preston, Lancashire, to watch Nick Park, the creator of the popular film franchise, reveal the 4ft (1.2m) sculpture in his home city and then greet the new artwork with cheers - and then playful boos.

Wallace and Gromit is something of an institution in the entertainment world. Since its introduction more than 35 years ago, the stop-motion series has won three Oscars and five BAFTAs. The two protagonists — Wallace, the cheese-eating inventor, and Gromit, the long-suffering dog — have even appeared on Royal Mail stamps.

The four foot statue of the villainous bird is situated not far away from its rivals Wallace and Gromit and was unveiled by the characters' creator Nick Park

Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park has described the trend of fans getting Feathers McGraw tattoos as an "accolade". The Oscar-winning filmmaker's comments came at a ceremony unveiling a new 4ft (1.2m) sculpture of the villainous penguin in his home city of Preston, Lancashire.

The evil penguin has his beady eyes on the much-loved duo's own statue nearby. Nick Park was the guest of honour at the official opening of Preston's new Animate cinema and leisure complex.