Keen amateur artist Austin Clifford has won Sandwell's Hidden Treasures competition with a stunning drawing of an old chestnut tree in a local ancient woodland.

Austin, a keen sketcher, won the public vote in the competition run by Sandwell Council’s museums and arts service.

Austin, who lives in the Sandwell Valley area of West Bromwich, drew a tree he has seen daily on his walks through the woods – after increasing his walking to recover from a triple bypass heart operation in 2009.

He said: "I try to walk between four and six miles across the Valley before breakfast on five or six mornings a week."

He achieved a life-long ambition to walk the Camino Frances in North Spain, from St Jean Pied de Port, in the foothills of the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Northern Spain, in 2014 when he was 71 years of age.

“This was an opportunity to combine my love of walking and sketching," he said.

On his return, he published a book, Drawn Down the Way, of sketches and anecdotes of his experiences.

Austin knows the old chestnut tree – in the ancient woodland section of the Valley off Park Lane – very well. “I have been mentally drawing the trees for years and it took the Hidden Treasures competition to spur me into action,” he said.

His prize-winning entry was the most popular with people who voted online at the Discover Sandwell website or went to local libraries to vote for their favourite entry.

Austin, pictured with his winning entry and the award, said: “I was really delighted to have won the competition. I certainly did not expect to win it.”

Councillor Steve Trow, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for culture and core council services, said: “This competition has helped to promote what wonderful hidden treasures we have in Sandwell as well as showcasing some very talented artists. I would like to thank everyone who entered and congratulations to Austin on his fantastic drawing.”

The competition was open to all amateur artists, schools and community groups. Entrants were asked to highlight their favourite building, open space, visitor attraction, walk and view of Sandwell.

Entries were displayed on the summer arts trail at Sandwell museums where visitors voted for their favourites. The winner from each of the four museum sites was then put to the public vote in the autumn to find the overall winner.

Next year’s arts trail theme will be All The Fun of the Fair – details will be announced in the spring.