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Leeds Live
Leeds Live
National
Ben Abbiss

Historic Leeds statue back in rightful place after being toppled and damaged

A historic Leeds statue has been reinstalled in its rightful place in Woodhouse Moor after being toppled and damaged.

The statue dedicated to 'industry' is back at the foot of the monument to Queen Victoria.

The monument was first placed outside Leeds Town Hall in 1908 but was moved to Woodhouse Moor in 1937, where the late Queen had listened to 26,000 local children sing on her first Royal visit to the city.

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On the other side of the monument, a statue to 'peace' was also lost during its 113-year life.

The 'industry' statue was toppled in the late 1980s and some damage was sustained so it was put in storage at Armley Mills.

The statue back in place (Councillor Jonathan Pryor)

But Headingley and Hyde Park Labour Councillors Jonathan Pryor, Neil Walshaw and Al Garthwaite have made sure it found its way home.

Clr Neil Walshaw said: "It's not cost us hardly anything, it just needed a clean and a repair and then to be mounted up.

"It was paid for a long, long time ago so it's not like we've paid £10,000 for a new bronze or something."

The statue to Queen Victoria was one of those heavily graffitied by vandals last summer.

“S***” and “slave owner” were painted on the monument while the words “BLM” and “educate” were spray-painted along the bottom.

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Clr Walshaw said that is not a reason to avoid restoring our public works of art

"These things go in cycles," he said. "I'm sure it will probably be fine but we can't preclude the city of statues and public art just in case.

"We need to show what we've got off. I mean, it's a pretty cool addition to a statue."

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