This stunning image of a barn owl captured by a Norfolk amateur wildlife photographer is to feature on a 2020 calendar being produced by a national high street retail chain.

Diss Mercury: Amateur wildlife photographer Tom Welton from Hapton whose barn owl picture will feature on a Wilko calendar. Picture: Tom WeltonAmateur wildlife photographer Tom Welton from Hapton whose barn owl picture will feature on a Wilko calendar. Picture: Tom Welton (Image: Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.)

Tom Welton, 33, captured the image of the bird sat on a post in the sunshine from his car window close to his home in the South Norfolk village of Hapton.

Having been encouraged by visitors to his Instagram page to submit it to a national competition run by homeware chain Wilko it has been selected as one of the 12 winners to be featured in their official 2020 calendar that will be sold across the country from the autumn.

Mr Welton, a learning support manager, said: 'I had a few photos to choose from but decided on the barn owl as it is one of favourite birds, and was surprised to hear back that I had won. I'm a complete amateur, it is purely a hobby, but I am out there most weekends with my camera.

'I had seen the barn owl in the area. Then one sunny evening all of a sudden it appeared on a post right about 10ft away while I was sat in the car. I managed to get a couple of pictures from the window before it noticed me and flew off. It was just the right place and right time.'

• Visit his Instagram page to see more of his Norfolk wildlife photographs