FARMER Adam Henson and his team at the Cotswold Farm Park have welcomed a new addition into the fold - but she is a bit quieter than most of the usual inhabitants.

Jessie Leveret is one of 50 large statues being placed around the Cotswolds as part of the first Cirencester Hare Trail, designed to provide fun for locals and to attract tourists and is part of The Cirencester Hare Festival taking place until September 14.

The 5ft hare was named and painted by ‘Sing & Sign’ groups in the Cotswolds, run by Nic Horne, who approached the popular attraction near Guiting Power to see if they could accommodate it.

“Many of the families who come to Sing and Sign music classes have been enjoying the trail so I thought it might be nice for us to get involved,” she said.

“The families contributed towards sponsoring our Jessie Leveret hare, who takes her first name from Jessie Cat, the mascot of our classes and who the babies love.

"The babies have each painted their handprints on the sculpture to represent their hands that they can communicate with through signing before they can speak.

"We had a lot of fun painting the hare and hope that lots of people will enjoy visiting it on the Hare Trail.”

Kate Lord, Farm Park Manager, said: “The Hare Trail is proving to be a great way to encourage tourists and locals to go out and explore more areas of the Cotswolds, so we’re delighted to be involved. "Jessie’s a great temporary addition to the Park and it’s lovely for the families from Sing & Sign to be able to come out and see her while she’s based here.

"We’re hoping to give her a very nice home for the next couple of months.”

The profits from the project will be used to help raise the £50,000 needed by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to begin to develop the Green Hare Churn Walkway around the River Churn in Cirencester.