A COMMUNITY art project to brighten up the streets of Finsbury has seen telecommunications cabinets transformed into works of art.

School children, residents and local artists mounted an art attack on the clunky green boxes dotted around the streets to drive Virgin Media’s phone and broadband networks.

Twelve cabinets have become the unlikely canvases for colourful murals celebrating what is best about EC1 – and 10 more are to be completed in coming weeks.

St Luke’s Primary School pupil Ronni Rowland, 8, won a competition to have her drawing painted onto a box outside the school, in Bath Street. She said: “I love our cabinet. I think it’s really good and has lots of colour and detail.”

Other designs include depictions of young people from City YMCA and the canal side at Islington Boat Club.

The project was funded by EC1 New Deal for Communities (NDC), a 10-year �52million regeneration programme that began in 2001.

Kirby Swales, chief executive of NDC, said: “We wanted to create something to celebrate the end of the NDC programme that has broad community appeal. From professional artists to residents and school children, it’s wonderful to see so many different people getting behind it.”

Neal Walshe, of Virgin Media, which supported the scheme, said: “We’re delighted to be part of this fantastic project - normally our street furniture is designed to blend into the background. These stunning looking cabinets bring real identity to the area and we’re really delighted with the results.”