A MOVING photograph of the Iraq war inspired a Spa artist to not only paint the image, but to also seek out the people in the picture.

Mandy Childs, who is currently staying in Wychbold, saw the photograph when it accompanied an article in the Daily Mail last year.

The picture showed an American soldier carrying a small Iraqi child after a car bomb had been used to target the American convoy as they stopped to give sweets to local youngsters.

"I was just moved by the image and wanted to paint it, which I did twice in different styles," said Mandy.

One painting is of the photograph and the other has the background blocked out and shows just the soldier and girl. Following her creative efforts, Mandy wanted to find out the names of the people in the picture to bring it to life and give it a personal touch.

"In the Middle East it is a way of honouring people by putting on their names. I wanted to find out the names so I could put them in the title of the artwork and bring the people alive in the painting," she said.

Mandy contacted the US Embassy in the hope of locating the soldier and to her surprise they got back in touch with the soldier's identity.

She now knows that the soldier in her painting is Major Mark Bieger from the 25th Infantry, which is based at Fort Lewis in Washington. He is carrying a small girl named Farah. After asking more questions she also discovered that Farah later died because of the incident.

"I am hoping to send a copy of the painting to Major Bieger in America," added Mandy.