IT has taken 17 years and more than 5,000 hours of work, but the end is finally in sight for a Hampshire sculptor attempting to recreate one of the country’s most famous warships from a beam taken from the actual ship.

Ian Brennan, from Warsash, has almost finished his four-foot long model of Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory out of a piece of wood salvaged from the ship itself.

But the 60-year-old sculptor, who famously produced the much-derided first statue of Saints legend Ted Bates that was hauled down within a week of being unveiled outside St Mary’s Stadium, is now five years behind schedule with his project.

The official sculptor to the Royal Household had hoped to finish the piece in time for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 2005, but faced major problems working the centuries-old wood.

He said: “Oak is a tough material anyway, but a beam which is hundreds of years old is like carving concrete.

“Also I didn’t want to make a mistake because I only had one go at this.”

Mr Brennan is now looking for somewhere to display the model, which he says needs about 20 more hours of work to complete.