Leeds Lord Mayor, Councillor Judith Chapman is building a better understanding of autism with a giant Lego site at the Merrion shopping mall.

Councillor Chapman - the city's first Jewish woman mayor - set residents the challenge of making the Leeds coat of arms out of Lego, with shoppers donating money for the bricks. Money raised will go towards the mayoral charity, Special Autism Services. It is anticipated that the mosaic will contain more than 200,000 bricks.

Councillor Chapman's daughter, Harriet, has autism and is a massive Lego fan. "Harriet came to me with the idea of doing the project prior to my becoming mayor," she explained. "I couldn't have done this without her. People who suffer the condition are wired differently, but they are quite normal really. In fact, having the condition gives them a perspective that others don't have."

Harriet Chapman hoped the project would be "a lasting legacy to mum's tenure as lord mayor".