IT may have kept him warm from the cold, but we’re not sure what Sir Edward Elgar would have made of this bold new look.

But students from the Malvern School of Art at South Worcestershire College helped keep a statue of the legendary composer warm by knitting scarves, leg warmers, a hot water bottle and even a moustache warmer.

Another group of students also crocheted snowflakes, with all the efforts part of a community initiative to ‘yarn bomb’ Belle Vue Island in Malvern as part of the town’s Christmas celebrations.

Head of art Caroline Park said those who took part were keen to get the needles knocking for the event.

“Guerrilla knitting is becoming very popular as a way of making the streets feel welcoming, and students were very keen to be involved in the community project,” she said. “A large number of art students were involved in the knitting and crochet, and preparation for the event.”

And she said once Sir Edward was donning his new clothing, he received warm praise from Malvern fashion fans who saw him.

“We received very positive feedback from all passers-by who were interested in both the community project and in finding out more about courses at the college,” Mrs Park added.