RESIDENTS in the village of Llanfrechfa are preparing for the winners of the scarecrow competition to be announced with some causing quite a stir in the area.

Llanfrechfa Village Association’s (LVA’s) first annual Scarecrow Festival got underway on August 24, when residents displayed their scarecrows ready to be judged.

But one scarecrow out of the thirty on display has caught the attention of residents and visitors alike.

Couple, Lloyd Harris and Natasha Owen, both 17, decided to make a scarecrow of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt calling him an “inspiration”.

Widely regarded as the fastest person ever, the pair decided to make a scarecrow of him to commemorate his achievements in the last Olympic Games and in the Commonwealth Games.

Miss Owen said: “We both find him to be a great character so we decided to make one of him.”

The scarecrow is made up of household items, such as shredded paper and pipes for legs, and covered by clothes that they purchased from a charity shop.

Mr Harris said that they had a few issues with the recent wet weather but luckily their creation has stayed intact.

He added: “We have a great idea for next year’s entry but we are keeping it a secret.”

A steady stream of visitors have be seen around the village with some even taking selfies with the creations, whilst traffic moved at a snail’s pace along Caerleon Road with people trying catch a glimpse of Llanfrechfa’s temporary residents.

“There hasn’t been a buzz around Llanfrechfa like this for years” said landlady Julie Dawson from The Gate.

While LVA committee chairman, James Dawson, said that he was “impressed with the level of entries”.

The scarecrows are all expected to remain in place until the festival comes to an end tomorrow with a Family Fun Day in the car park of the The Gate Pub.

Families are invited to Llanfrechfa village on Sunday from 3pm to enjoy stalls, Punch and Judy show, Live Jazz music and an organised Scarecrow Treasure Trail.

The official judging will also take place and the winners in four categories will be announced at 5.30pm at the fun day together with the winner of the public vote.