A GUINNESS World Record attempt for the largest mosaic print made from recycled materials was unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Mike Gibbons, at the Official Grand Depart Spectator Hub in Ilkley, today.

The spectacular piece of art is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic water bottles. The 8mx 8m print features the faces of all the winners of previous Tour De France winners.

The artwork will now be on display at the hub in the Riverside Gardens all day tomorrow.

The print aims to raise the importance of recycling plastic bottles. It is estimated that 42,000 bottles of water will be consumed by the Tour de France cycling teams this year and the mosaic showcases the innovative design technology of the Yorkshire award winning recycling firm, Co2nscience, whose mission is to transform waste into art.

Co2nscience developed an innovation for wall hanging art called Stretcher Print. Stretcher Prints are made from upcycled plastic bottles, are frameless so can come in unique sizes and shapes, and also improve the acoustics of a room by stopping sound bouncing around.

Stuart Jones, CEO of Co2nscience said: “Currently 80 per cent of our plastic water bottles end up in landfill and in the oceans, causing catastrophic environmental damage. Globally we consume 50 billion water bottles, that 1,500 per second!

"We are hoping that our print raises awareness that you can use recycled water bottles in an exciting and different way and it can be put to many different uses. Stretcher Prints have the potential to be a game-changer in the global wall print sector - just think how many millions or even billions of bottles we could upcycle along the way.”

Mr Jones aims to hang his world record print at the Eiffel Tower in Paris for the end of tour celebrations.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Cllr Mike Gibbons, who is also an Ilkley Parish Councillor, was an official witness to the Guinness World Record attempt after performing his official duty of formally opening the Ilkley Tour de France Hub Festival at noon.

He told the crowds the world was watching Ilkley this weekend and it was a wonderful opportunity for the town to showcase all it has to offer.

"It is an opportunity to tell the world what a wonderful place Ilkley is," he said. "Thousands will enjoy all the many activities that have been put on for them.

"From live music, to local food, beer, movies and a fair ground, there is something for everyone here."

He thanked the hub festival event organisers and also Ilkley Parish Council and in particular Councillor Bryan Websdale and his team for "their remarkable input" to the town's Grand Depart festivities.

"It is so exciting for Ilkley," added Councillor Gibbons. "It is fantastic - the world's biggest cycle race is happening here in Ilkley - how much better can this get?"

Chairman of Ilkley Parish Council, Councillor Andrew Walbank, also attended the official opening of the Ilkley hub festivities and was an official witness to the world record attempt.

He said he would be watching the race in Ilkley on Saturday and going to Addingham on Sunday.

"This is a once in a lifetime event and it is just so special for Ilkley," he said.