A BRIDPORT man is celebrating a huge achievement after scooping a coveted national award for his tiny creation.

Miniaturist Laurence St Leger, 69, was presented with the Perfection In Miniature Award at the Kensington Dollshouse Festival, for his intricately detailed working miniature penknife.

This year’s festival featured the first Perfection In Miniature Award competition, which required exhibitors to make something imaginative they had never attempted before, demonstrating an enormous amount of skill.

Mr St Leger’s winning creation wowed the judges for its level of detail and the quality of his workmanship.

His tiny pen knife measures just a quarter of an inch - or around half a centimetre - in length.

In true Swiss Army Knife style, all the blades on Mr St Leger’s miniature knife are sharp and open out, the scissors open and close, and there’s even a toothpick and pair of tweezers in the handle.

Mr St Leger, who has worked as a miniaturist for almost 35 years, said: “I have always built models and used to be a watch repairer, and it’s developed from there.

“I do make pen knives,” he said, “they are my hobby and I buy them and restore them too. But the scale was something different.”

Speaking of his achievement, Mr St Leger said: “It’s quite good to win actually.

“I have never won an award before and it’s like becoming an overnight success but after 34 years. I’m very grateful.”

Mr St Leger’s career continues to go from strength to strength, as he has already sold his winning miniature to a renowned collector and Qatari royal.

Not to mention that the original creators of the Swiss Army Knife, Victorinox, have asked him to replicate his winning entry for their museum in Switzerland.

Mr St Leger and his wife Angela, who also makes miniatures, said over their many years’ work they have made everything from mechanical toys to scale models and dolls house furniture, including a tiny working whisk.

He added: “The dolls house industry is quite a big business and there are quite a few shows throughout the year, which I have been entering for more than 20 years now, but the Dollshouse Festival is probably the most prestigious event.”