A FORMER school teacher hopes his design for a Liver Bird-shaped cappuccino sprinkler will prove a big hit with coffee lovers.

Gerry Jones had the brainwave to tie in with this year’s centenary of the Liver Building and its famous birds.

He has already gained expressions of interest from a number of cafes and coffee shops for the idea.

It involves a simple plastic disk with handle, the stencil being a Liver Bird profile, similar to the famous city logo.

Mr Jones, 69, has called it the “Lyverchino,” short for “Liverpool cappuccino.” He modified the spelling slightly to make sure the word “Liver” was correctly pronounced.

He said: “If you are visiting Buckingham Palace, your cappuccino will be appropriately ‘crowned’, with the chocolate powder being dusted through a crown-shaped stencil.

“I thought it would be good if Liverpool had its own version for the centenary year of the Liver Building.

“At present, there are only two of these stencils in existence, but a number of Liverpool’s premier coffee shops have already shown interest.

“There is no copyright held for this stencil, which can be made by many engraving companies in the city.”

He added: “When I was a commuter travelling over from Wirral on the Mersey Ferry, I used to see the Liver Birds every day, and I remember it gave me a sense of identity.

“Wherever I’ve taken the Liver Bird stencil, everyone likes it immediately. It’s an emblem for the whole city, not just a football team.”