Michael Williams spent 10 painstaking years designing and building a famous London landmark...out of matchsticks.

The 41-year-old road layer from Shoebury in Essex created a complete replica of London's Tower Bridge out of 1.6million matches.

He spent every evening after work lovingly crafting the 6ft-long structure which twinkles with 156 working lights. But Mr Williams nearly saw his masterpiece go up in smoke when the intricate model began smouldering.

"My brother said he saw smoke coming out of it and I looked across, switched it off and decided to rip all the lights out," he said.

"I've had to plan how to do this properly because I don't want to build something for someone to take it home and it goes up in flames."

The replica has two household bulbs lighting up the two towers and an illuminated 52 gun galleon underneath. It is lit up with long-life LED bulbs which last for 100,000 hours.

Although the model is just a tiny proportion of the real thing, it took two years longer to build. Construction began on the original in 1886 and finished in 1894.

 
Mr Williams' fire for matchstick modelling was lit after he began making small boats but his passion for historical structures led on to his big project. Using photographs and books he managed to recreate the bridge, carving each stick by hand.

Mr Williams said: "I never realised I was artistic until I started this. My teachers thought I was useless at art but they aren't always right.

"I just wanted to build something to leave behind in life which is not just bricks and mortar - something different."

He now plans to sell the model to fund a studio and his next top secret project.