FORMER Andover mayor and artist Peter Sumner has presented one of his animal paintings to Parkinson UK at its first-ever branch meeting in the town, pictured.

The support group, part of a national charity aiming to change attitudes to the disease and find a cure, held its first meeting at the Bridge Street Methodist Church on Friday.

Mr Sumner said: “I was asked to do a painting of Bluebell Woods’ for the charity, especially as the painting I had donated to a cancer charity had proved so successful and they planned to do a sponsored walk in a bluebell wood. I thought that just a wood scene on its own would not much appeal so I introduced a pair of foxes nuzzling up to each other and gave it the title of ‘The Romance of Bluebell Woods’.”