AT a ceremony held at The New Inn, Wedmore, this year’s Turnip Prize has been awarded to Mr Keep Calm for his work entitled Party Gate - a garden gate with a party hat attached to the top.

The award was made in front of a packed art loving audience who cheered when the 48-year-old winner accepted the prize, a turnip mounted on a six-inch nail.

Organiser Trevor Prideaux said: “I am delighted with the lack of effort taken to create this work.”

Mr Keep Calm, a government employee from Chilton Polden, said: “I was too lazy to take the gate to the recycling tip and decided to enter it in to the Turnip Prize.”

He added: “It’s a great honour and I can see this as an opening for greater works to come.”

Trevor said: “This year’s event attracted 193 entries. It’s fantastic that Mr Keep Calm has won. He clearly has what it takes to be recognised in modern art circles and will be remembered in art history for no time at all.

"I believe that over the last 25 years the artists entering ‘The Turnip Prize’ have created by far better works than Alex Farquharson and The Tate Britain Gallery could ever wish to exhibit."

The four finalists will be on show at the New Inn, Wedmore, until Friday (December8) and I encourage everyone to support your local pub during these difficult times.

All entries still at the pub after tomorrow (Thursday, December  7) will be thrown in the skip.