There cannot be many tourist attractions made of wool – which is why people are flocking to Saltburn to see the Olympic figures on the pier. Our new knitting correspondent Graeme Hetherington reports

IT is a yarn that seems to be too good to be true, but a mysterious knitter has inexplicably transformed a seaside pier into an Olympic playground.

The 50m long scarf is adorned with colourful characters taking part in a variety of events. One even bears a striking resemblance to the resort’s very own Paralympic legend, Dame Tanni Grey Thompson.

Why the scarf has been sewn onto the handrail of Saltburn Pier remains a mystery and the search for the elusive “Yarnbomber” continues.

But one thing that is very clear is that the knitted Olympic competitors have proved a fantastic tourist attraction with hundreds braving the elements to get a close look.

Mary Brannigan, 73, from Durham, said: “I heard about there being this knitted display along the pier and decided to come down and have a look for myself and they look wonderful. It must have taken a long time to create because it is really imaginative.”

Every couple of feet a new Olympic sport is recreated as the eye-catching display captures people taking part in events ranging from weightlifting to synchronised swimming and from shooting to track events.

Elizabeth Grainger, 65, of Saltburn, brought her three-year-old granddaughter Eve down to the pier to see what all the fuss was about.

“I can’t believe how much time someone has spent knitting all of this but it is really good,” she said.

“The amount of detail on some of the knitted characters is great – I would love to know who has done it.”

And Brian Henderson, 56, of Redcar, said: “I come down to the pier quite regularly but this was a wonderful surprise. I wasn’t expecting to see all of this knitting and I certainly wasn’t expecting so many people to be on the pier looking at it.”

This is not the first time that the “Yarnbomber” has tied scarves and knitted figures to various parts of the town centre. So far they have popped up on lampposts, railings and buildings.

Last year, a 6ft long scarf, complete with attached books, was left outside the library, and had a note attached signed “the Yarn Junki” – but with no clue as to the identity of the knitter.

Other scarves with different designs appeared around the town and three teddy bears had a tea party on the town’s Marine Parade picnic area.

“I would love to know who has done all this,” said Jane Murray, 78, of Middlesbrough. “Someone must know who it is because it must have taken quite a while to knit around the rail. I’m sure everyone would like to be able to discover whose idea it is.