Nyland Special School pupil Matthew Belcher. A YOUNG Swindon artist will follow in the artistic footsteps of Turner, David Hockney and Tracey Emin. His work, like theirs, is to be displayed at the Tate Gallery.

Eleven-year-old Matthew Belcher, of Park South, has been short listed for the Young Pavement Artist of the Year Awards after his sunset scene caught the eye of judges.

A photograph of his work will go on display in Tate Britain later this year.

It had been scheduled to go on display this weekend

But the terrorist bombings in London last week forced the cancellation of the exhibition.

New dates have been found in the autumn.

However this didn't seem to bother Matthew, who attends Nyland Special School in Nythe.

It was he who asked teachers if he could enter the competition after seeing it on the internet.

The whole school had a go, and his artwork came out tops.

Matthew said: "I was really happy to see that I was nominated.

"Artwork is just a hobby and I really like it, and I like photography too.

"All my friends were really impressed when I told them."

Technical-minded Matthew regularly repairs bicycles in his back garden.

Mum Nicola, 28, and brothers Rhys, six, and Ciejay, four, said they were delighted for Matthew.

Nicola said: "He's done really well and we are really proud of him.

"He's creative and always doing something."

Deputy head at Nyland School, Ralph Lancaster-Gaye, said: "Matthew is a creative young lad, and this competition was his find. He looked it up on the internet about six months ago, the whole school entered and then the teachers decided on a shortlist of which ones should go forward.

"He is very artistic, and he has great talent and I see him going far with that talent."

Any young person aged between four and 18 is able to take part in the competition, which urges them to unlock their imaginations and create drawings on pavements.

All the youngsters who entered paid a £1 entry fee, which went to the The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, an organisation which aims to help children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy a muscle wasting disease providing extra care, wheelchairs and a helpline.

The Young Pavement Artist of the Year exhibition is now expected to go on display at Tate Britain this November.

Matthew's painting.