A lifelong Billy Connolly fan is offering his hero an unusual birthday present - a sculpture of his head carved from wood using a chainsaw.

Amateur chainsaw artist Derek McAulay crafted the lifelike bust of the legendary comedian from a log, using a table leg to create his glasses.

Mr McAulay, 50, hopes the star will accept his sculpture as a present for his 75th birthday.

The engineer, who is from the same area of Glasgow as Connolly, says it took him six hours to recreate the star's image at his workshop near Dechmont in West Lothian.

Mr McAulay, who now lives in Shawlands, said he started his hobby to explore his creative side away from engineering work.

He said: "It's a kind of release, I work in precision engineering, dealing with very high tolerances.

"I picked up my first chainsaw three years ago and managed to succeed in not killing myself."

A former competitive archer, Mr McAulay decided to take up chainsaw carving after seeing fallen timber go to waste while practising in the forest.

Since taking up the hobby he has completed hundreds of sculptures, many of which depict animals such as birds and otters.

He said: "You almost release the animal within, the log tells you what shape it wants to be.

"Sometimes the grain says it needs to be going in this direction or that."

The inspiration to recreate the Big Yin, who now lives in Florida, came from seeing the folk singer's face in a recent TV appeal.

He said: "I grew up in Springburn, where Billy Connolly used to run about.

"He's always been a part of my life, people say I've got the same sense of humour as him.

"For ten years I used to put Billy Connolly tracks on at archery competitions to get in the right mood."

He continued: "I like practicing faces, one day I had seen him on TV for a charity appeal and thought I would have a go at carving Billy."

While Mr McAulay does sell some of his carvings, he says this sculpture is only intended for one person.

He said: "It doesn't belong with anyone else except the man himself."

He hopes Connolly, who will turn 75 in November, will notice his work and get in touch.