'Britain's worst' art exhibition?

An art exhibition featuring a brush propped against a wall and pieces of wood strewn across the floor has been branded the worst in Britain.

Discarded nails, a bucket and an empty laundry bag also make up the display at Birmingham's Ikon Gallery by artist Susan Collis.

Art lover Graham Whitehouse, 40, from Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, said: "Conceptual art is one thing but this is just ridiculous.

"I just think it's a big con, I walked in and I thought 'this isn't finished yet' - I felt cheated. I just cannot believe money is spent on this kind of thing."

Visitor Hannah Taylor, 24, from London, said: "I walked in and thought I was in the wrong room.

"It looked like they were just in the process of putting it together and the decorators had gone to lunch or something. I think she's started it, got bored and left her work half finished.

"I feel cheated, I have been to many galleries up and down the country and this has got to be the worst exhibition I have ever seen."

Describing her work, entitled 'Since I Fell For You', Ms Collis says: "Often a work that looks very careless, as if it hasn't taken any time to make, like a random mark, ends up being something that takes a long time to produce."

Rebecca Small, marketing manager of the gallery, said: "The point of it is that it doesn't look finished but if you look closer there are precious materials inside.

"People's firsts impressions are challenged by looking again, their first impressions are not necessarily correct and it has really got people talking and interested."