WORLD-LEADING artists have created amazing virtual graffiti on a town's walls after coronavirus disrupted its annual paint festival.

Cheltenham Paint Festival is set for September but funding was this year pulled from several organisations to support people during lockdown.

It means artists will only work on smaller walls but founder Andy Dice Davies gave online access to his huge library of the town's bigger walls for artists to virtually paint.

Online murals were created on front of flats and on the side of houses across Cheltenham, including one of a superhero in a red eye-mask.

Mr Davies, who is also an artist, said: "I was talking with Fink22 who came over from Dubai to paint last year's festival and we thought it would be a great way for artists to showcase their work during lockdown whilst providing street art fans a little eye candy to cheer them up.

“It also gives some of the smaller artists the chance to see what their work would look like on a bigger scale."

Many of the walls painted are unavailable to decorate in real life for various reasons, the event posted to its Facebook.

It said it is "nice to finally see some work on them" but warned "permission has NOT been granted to paint these walls so please do NOT take this as an invitation to do so!"

Artists will this year repaint the town's car parks, tunnels and bridges.

Mr Davies added: "Usually we supply accommodation, food, paint and lifts etc for the artists but we won’t be able to this year.

"However, after discussing the situation with them, many have said that they’d still like to come and paint.

"Fortunately, we’ve built up a bank of goodwill as we try to look after them whilst they’re here and they’re all chomping at the bit to get out and splash some colour around!”