A SOUTHAMPTON woman is one step closed to being named the UK's Upcycler of the Year after she beat hundreds of crafters to be awarded a place in the finals.

Stephane Barbey has been given a place in the top 10 of the newly formed Upcycler of the Year competition.

Her upcycled caravan was shortlisted in the national competition, organised by power tool manufacturer, Ryobi Power Tools.

Stephane said: "I took this caravan when it was really old and decrepit, and using mostly recycled materials, I rebuilt it to become a temporary kitchen.

"Most of the wood is pallet wood, and come from my in-law's farm, as well as all of the metal bits and pieces. It took me about 11 months to complete."

The top 10 entries will now go to a public vote which closes at midnight on April 5.

The entry with the most votes will be crowned the winner on April 6 and win a hamper of Ryobi ONE+ crafting tools worth more £750.

Thomas Leather, Marketing Manager for Ryobi UK, said: “First we would like to thank the hundreds of entries for submitting their projects, the creativity up and down the UK has been very impressive and it’s great to see so many of you turning your discarded household items into amazing projects.

"We would like to wish our shortlist the best of luck, we can’t wait to see who is crowned the winner."

The other shortlisted entries are; Dirk Lamprecht, Birmingham, upcycled TV stand; Russell Atkins, Walsall, upcycled table; Ashley Gill, Portsmouth, upcycled tree house; Paul Smail, Edinburgh, upcycled mobile bar; Anne Pearce, Hastings, upcycled wine rack; Damon Neal, Oxford, upcycled chest of drawers; Pierre Keyzar, London, upcycled bedside tables; Gary Beale, Liverpool, upcycling decking and furniture; and Bill Cooke, Liverpool, upcycled garden area.

To vote for the Upcycler of the Year, visit https://uk.ryobitools.eu/competition/upcycler-of-the-year/.