A MUG SHOT of the Queen has been created by a Ringwood artist to celebrate her becoming the longest reigning British monarch.

Rebecca Newnham, whose studio is based at Kingston, created a huge portrait of Elizabeth ll made from more than 950 mugs.

She said: "This is exactly the sort of project I love - creating something that has never been done before."

Rebecca spent more than three weeks making the 2m by 2.5m piece, using 952 mugs and 20 litres of paint in 12 different colours to create the perfect likeness.

Elizabeth ll will pass the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria who reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes.

It is the first in a series of portraits of British icons commissioned by Horlicks.

A company spokesperson added: “It’s been an incredibly fun and creative process paying homage to the country’s longest reigning monarch, and we hope that the first in the series of our famous mug shots will show our fondness for our nation’s favourite icons.”

The portrait which is 8ft high, takes more than eight people to lift. Once the series is completed, the mugs will be distributed to various local homeless charities, old people's homes and schools.