Sculptor’s walking boat fails to make it onto the Bankside beach

'The Boat that Walked' left Sandwich Marina in Kent last Saturday to sail up the Thames.

On Thursday lunchtime a crowd gathered on Bankside between the Founders Arms and the Millennium Bridge to witness the spectacle.

They had been lured to Bankside with the promise that they would witness a boat emerge from the water and 'walk' up the beach at low tide.

Unfortunately the steep angle of the beach proved too much for the 40ft vessel which has taken two years to build.

"It worked perfectly at Sandwich," said the crestfallen artist.

There are two more opportunities to see the boat in action in London. It will be demonstrated at Trinity Buoy Wharf on Friday and Saturday.

• Find out more at www.walkingboat.com