Visitors to Bradford International Market are in for a hair-raising experience when a team of Spanish "street hairdressers" let themselves loose on an unsuspecting crowd.

The idea of a spontaneous, sky-high "hair sculpture" may not appeal to everyone who visits the hairdressers, but Barcelona-based Osadia are snippers with a difference.

One of the main attractions at the Market, which runs in the city centre from August 26 to 30, the street artists specialise in outrageous hairstyles and have appeared at festivals across the world.

Now they are coming to Bradford to give shoppers at the International Market a bad hair day - and they need some willing volunteers.

Dressed in flamboyant costumes and with their own hair piled high in weird and wonderful styles, the wacky crimpers will be taking two old-fashioned style barber's chairs and a couple of mirrors around the Market and preying on members of the public. The aim is to give impromptu, sky-high hairstyles in just half an hour.

Once their "victims" are seated in the chair the stylists will set to work transforming ordinary hair-dos into extraordinary hair-don'ts.

The artists let their imaginations run wild, creating daring hair sculptures involving various objects - including plastic drinking straws, bananas, Barbie dolls, a bonsai tree, bits of cardboard, skewers and washing-up sponges - placed on their models' heads.

Past creations have included a Marge Simpson-like tower of hair held up by a styro-foam ball, and sprouting plastic rings, flowers and feathers and a vegetable-inspired style involving twisting hair with wire into green sprouts around a big paper fan decorated with potatoes. Men with balding barnets have even been given multi-coloured mohawks and horns!

"The hairstyles are all inspired by themes of food from the Market," says Dusty Rhodes, entertainment organiser for the event. "The idea is that once people have had their hair transformed they will then be let loose into the Market, so they become street attractions themselves!

"They're a bunch of mad hairdressers, but incredible artists. They draw huge crowds - people can't resist staying to the end of the styling to see their amazing creations."

Osadia (a Spanish word meaning something daring or outrageous) was formed by hairstylists and street artists Alex Rendon and Eva Gonzalez seven years ago, originally as a publicity stunt to attract more work as hairdressers.

If there's a bit of the extrovert in you, this could be your opportunity to be a real head-turner.

"We need volunteers before Osadia get here, just in case there aren't any willing 'victims' on the day," said Dusty. "Once you've been sculpted you can walk around as a fantastic attraction."

l Osadia are performing in the city centre on Friday, August 27, and Saturday, August 28. Anyone interested in taking part is asked to ring Dusty on 07850 686002.