Gary Barlow - Gary Barlow's portrait smashed by builders

Gary Barlow's portrait smashed by builders

A portrait given to Gary Barlow as a birthday present was smashed by builders.

The painting - a mosaic-style piece that featured 50 photos of Gary through the years - was given to the Take That star by his mother as a special gift for his 40th birthday last year but clumsy workmen knocked it off the wall while renovating the singer's home.

Instead of owning up to the accident, the builders frantically called artist Matthew Andrews, asking him if he could replace the £3,000 masterpiece.

Matthew told The Sun newspaper: ''They phoned me up in a panic and said, 'We've smashed Gary Barlow's portrait, can you make us another one?'

''I made them a new one within a week and they came to collect it - so i don't know whether Gary knows about it to this day.

''He was out of the country at the time, in Africa, recording the Queen's Diamond Jubilee song.''