There's a twinkle in his eye

6:17pm Saturday 17th May 2008

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A HEREFORD man has successfully preserved the 25lb head of a wild boar at his Belmont home. Part-time taxidermist Graham Parmenter, a Dyson engineer by trade, has spent around six weeks restoring the head to its former glory.

The boar was culled on an estate in Redbrook, Forest of Dean, and will now take pride of place at a shooting room in Ross-on-Wye.

"Wild boars are beautiful animals but people don't often see them close up," said Mr Parmenter, who lives in Tavistock Drive. "This boar was taken properly from the wild and weighs about 25lbs."

He says that while his Dyson position is his main job, he loves the taxidermist work he takes on.

"It's a passion of mine that I love doing. It's like a hobby but people pay me to do it." Mr Parmenter says the preservation process is staggered and involves removing the animal's skin, salting it down and placing it in a tanning vat.