A nomadic artist attempting to transport a piano from Liverpool to London on the canals of Britain was stranded in Rishton after his raft began to sink.

Ben Cummins, 41, has appealed to local residents and businesses for help after a ‘little party’ with too many guests caused the deck to submerge.

He is currently moored by the Rishton Canal Cafe underneath the bridge on Hermitage Street.

Ben said has praised the help so far but said he needs at least ten 55-gallon industry standard blue barrels to restore the buoyancy of the raft before he can continue his journey.

He said: “I experienced such generosity from Blackburn and Rishton and this part of Lancashire has been incredible.

“People around here really seem to get what I’m trying to do with the journey.”

The artist abandoned his ‘rat race’ life to begin the journey three years ago after years running artist collectives in London.

He said: “I do not want to be bullied into being some kind of professional artist to pay my rent.”

Ben said instead he rescued and restored the raft from a Liverpool warehouse, adding the ‘knackered but beautiful’ piano at the last minute, and moved himself in.

The boat, originally designed by artist Ben Parry, is made of reclaimed furniture from around Liverpool.

However, much has been added to it from scrap including an old bathtub.

Ben said he now plans to build an extension from stain glass windows he salvaged from some abandoned Blackburn allotments.

He said: “I think that the body of the boat has a story to tell you, a lot of people project their own ideas and their dreams upon the boat.”

Ben has given himself up to 25 years to complete the voyage, at the end of which he hopes to put the piano up for auction as a collector’s item.

The artist said: “I am getting to the age where I do not need much.

“I am going to be an old man on the boat.”

As he walks along towing the raft, Ben invites strangers to help tow or punt it along the canal.

His intention is that the raft acts as a ‘living art piece’, a ‘physical vision’ which anyone can be part of.

Ben also lectures at Brighton University on found and salvaged art, and was a key founder of the flashmob performance movement.