WEMBLEY Stadium's FA Cup trophy plinth has been transformed into an Art Deco style bureau and chair for a football-mad client near Chalfont St Giles.

The exact piece of wood which held domestic football's most prized trophy has been made into a classic fold down bureau flap.

Furniture designer Matthew Biddle, of Waterside, Chesham, has also created a matching chair, upholstered in the same blue as the original bricks found beneath the ledge.

Biddle an Arsenal fan was one of the last people to stand inside the national stadium when he personally retrieved the American Oak wood ledge, two days before demolition began.

He told the Free Press that working on the commission was a life defining moment.

Biddle said: "Collecting the ledge was definitely the most exciting site visit of my career. I can't believe I was one of the last people to go into the stadium before the bulldozers knocked it down.

"It was such a surreal experience and a bit of a childhood dream."

Biddle has visited the stadium on many occasions to support his team and even went on a stadium tour as a child.

He said: "Coming back years later felt so strange because it is normally packed with screaming fans. This time there was only five other people.

"It has always been one of my childhood dreams to stand on the centre spot and climbing the 39 steps to the ledge was really special. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck tingling."

During the visit, Biddle made sure he had time for "a bit of a kick around" before getting down to the serious business of removing the ledge, which has been the centre piece for trophy presentations by the Queen and the Princess of Wales at sporting events including Euro 96, the World Cup in 1966 and FA Cup finals.

The 1920s style bureau and chair have been designed in keeping with the Art Deco style of the stadium and are now standing in the hallway of a private residence.