AN East Lancashire artist has spoken of how he sent shock waves around the Pagan world - with a stunt planned in his bedroom!

Peter Stewart's painted image of cartoon dad Homer Simpson alongside the famous Cerne Giant - a 180ft ancient chalk outline of a naked giant thought to be a symbol of spirituality - in Dorset has prompted a call for inter-national Pagans to pray for rain to wash it off.

The 36-year-old, of Settle Road, Bolton-by-Bowland, was paid £15,000 for the publicity stunt by 20th Century Fox to promote the new Simpsons movie, which opens in the UK on July 27.

And he said Pagans should stop complaining about the 70m by 50m image and appreciate it as a bit of fun.

Peter set up his Creative Marketing business specialising in painted adverts, a year ago, and runs it from his bedroom and offices at his home.

He painted the image on the hillside at Cerne Abbas with water-based chalk paint over two days after being contacted by a London advertising agency.

Peter, 36, said he knew straight away that the stunt would send shock waves - and laughs - around the world, but that he was not concerned by protests.

He said: "It has done what it was designed to do, and got everyone talking about Homer Simpson. It's funny and it's a good stunt.

"Some people in the Pagan community have kicked off' about it, but only a few of them. I spoke to a Pagan guy when I was down there doing it and he wasn't bothered at all. We had all the right permissions from the council and the National Trust and we scoured the land to make sure we weren't affecting a rare flower that grows on the site.

"The paint is the same sort of thing used for marking out football pitches but mixed to last a little bit longer. It will wash off in the rain eventually."

But Ann Bryn-Evans, joint Wessex district manager for The Pagan Federation,said: "It's very disrespectful and not at all aesthetically pleasing.

"It's been raining buckets but the thing's still there.

"It's an eyesore and it simply cheapens the whole area.

"I'm amazed they got permission to do something so ridiculous."

Most of Mr Stewart's work comes from pitch lining and advertising at sporting events.

He said: "I'm planning a lot more big stunts now. I'm looking at getting some premises on Lomeshaye Industrial Estate because I'm originally from Nelson and I want to get back to Pendle."