An artist has completed a mural of Lieutenant Colonel Blair Mayne on Disraeli Street in Belfast. Johnny Hamilton, known as Jossiepops, painted the work as part of a project by Alternatives Restorative Justice in the Shankill area.

The Newtownards native created the tribute to support efforts for a posthumous Victoria Cross for Mayne, a founding member of the Special Air Service during World War II. Hamilton visited the War Years Remembered Museum in Newtownards to research Mayne's life.

Fiona Ferguson, niece of Mayne, visited Hamilton last week while he worked on the mural. Hamilton stated the project fulfills a long-held ambition after watching a BBC series on the SAS.

Strangford MP Jim Shannon has supported the campaign and raised it in a House of Commons debate. Hamilton expressed hope that the mural provides momentum for the award.

This marks Hamilton's first mural outside Ards and North Down. He secured funding from Alternatives Restorative Justice after previous attempts failed.

Hamilton plans discussions for another mural of Mayne in Newtownards, his hometown.