A French artist has decorated a lion for a Bath twinning association.

Fabien Debos is an artist from the city's French twin town Aix- en-Provence.

He was chosen by the Aix twinning committee to decorate the sculpture for the Lions of Bath public arts project.

The beast, called My Roots, will be placed in the Alkmaar Gardens at Orange Grove.

Fabien is a graduate of Aix-en- Provence Fine Arts School, and works as a high school art teacher near the city.

He exhibits his work all over that part of France, and is strongly influenced by street art.

Fabien said that the lion and Africa were inseparable, and his sculpture had been influenced by the country.

He said: "As a symbol, the lion proudly promotes the values of the continent and its inhabitants.

"The faces which adorn my lion express joy, sorrow, doubt, suffering and innocence – all symbolising Africa."

The 100 Lions of Bath models around the city have been sponsored by a companies and organisations. The project, which will run until October, when they will be auctioned for charity, follows a similar scheme involving model pigs in 2008.

A guide is available to buy from the Tourist Information Centre and the project's Pride in Our City shop in Milsom Place.

For more information visit www.lionsofbath.com.