Declare your love for 1D - with a lock

The Light House Media Centre, based at the Chubb Building in Wolverhampton, has created an Italian style 'wall of love locks' dedicated to the pop sensations, where 1D fans are invited to leave a padlock as a token of their affections.

• How much do you love 1Direction? Have you covered your bedroom with their pictures and posters - or even created something to show how much you care? Send your pictures via Twitter to @expressandstar or newsdesk@expressandstar.co.uk

Marketing and events manager Julie Homfray said it was a custom in cities such as Rome to declare one's love by writing their initials on a small padlock, and locking it to a landmark such as a bridge, before throwing away the key.

The Light House, which is based in what was once one of the world's leading lock works, has created a fence in its foyer for 1Direction fans to attach padlocks bearing their initials - as well as those of their favourite band member.

To help fans make up their mind about who to dedicate their lock to, there is a cardboard cut-out of Wolverhampton-born Liam Payne standing next to the fence.

"We're encouraging people to bring their own locks, although we will probably keep a few in stock which we will sell for a small charge," said Miss Homfray.

One of the first to take part was seven-year-old Paige Mosedale, from Whitehorse Road, Brownhills, who wrote her initials on her lock in pink nail varnish. However, the pupil from Watling Street Primary School was not swayed by the picture of Liam, instead declaring her love for his bandmate Harry Styles.

"I like Harry because I really like his singing and his hair," she said.

"But I like Liam, he is my second favourite."

Her mother, Victoria Mosedale, aged 31, said Paige had been a huge fan of 1Direction since being introduced to the X Factor runners-up by her older sister, Sammy.

Miss Homfray said she hoped that the project would also educate younger people about the city's historic role as a lockmaking centre.

"The Chubb Buildings, where our café and cinema is based, is famous for being a former lock factory, a landmark visible to many people as they travel by rail or road through the city," she said.

"Wolverhampton has a tradition of being associated with lock making, and as we're Liam's Payne's home town, we want to show the world how much Wolverhampton love Liam and One Direction by building a wall of lovelocks – padlocks marked with fans' initials and of their favourite 1D member."

She said the tradition of love locks went back to the First World War.

However it was only over the past 10 years that locks had become popular to symbolise love at bridges and landmarks in major cities across the world, such as Rome at Ponte Milvio.

The wall is expected to remain in the foyer of the centre in Fryer Street until mid October.