A GRAFFITI-RIDDEN underpass has been transformed into a work of art.

A GRAFFITI-RIDDEN underpass has been transformed into a work of art.

The Cowcaddens underground passage on Cambridge Lane was once the target of graffiti artists from all over Britain, and was even featured on a graffiti website.

Now a professional artist has given the underpass a radical makeover. Ruth Barker's installation, The Shores of the Familiar, involved screenprinting the underpass walls with 15 unique pen and ink drawings of plants and waterlife.

Councillor Gordon Matheson and children from Garnetbank Primary School unveiled the new-look lifesize artwork.

It was commissioned by Glasgow City Council and British Waterways Scotland, as part of a scheme to revitalise the city's canal.

Steve Dunlop, Director at British Waterways Scotland said: "The underpass is a key link between the canal and the city centre.

"I'm delighted that the rich environmental aspects of the waterway have been reflected in this impressive artwork."

Over the next 10 years, the Forth & Clyde Canal is due to undergo large-scale regeneration in the area between Port Dundas and Maryhill, as a second waterfront' is created in the city.