CUSTOMERS at a Southampton shopping centre had the chance to be models for the day when a leading photographer snapped shoppers' faces as part of a project to help celebrate the country's cultural diversity.

Fifty shoppers were invited to pose for the camera at the Mall, Southampton, by photographer Hal Satterthwaite, when the nationwide initiative 1000 Faces of The Mall' came to the city on Tuesday.

Southampton's mayor, Councillor Stephen Barnes-Andrew also took part in the photo shoot.

The event was part of a project that will see a total of 1,000 photos of customers visiting Mall shopping centres across the country collected and collated to produce an iconic image celebrating the UK's multi-culturalism.

Jackie Beazley, The Mall Southampton's marketing and administration manager, said: "The aim of the photographs is to visually capture real people of all ages, with real expressions, in real time."

The project was initially launched in Walthamstow by Satterthwaite who depicted the faces of Walthamstow' by capturing portraits of the East London community.

The project culminated in an exhibition of the project in Walthamstow's Town Square.