National Trust bosses are removing a statue of a black man from the front of one of Greater Manchester’s most famous stately homes.
Bosses have decided to move a figure depicting a black man holding a sundial from the grounds outside Dunham Massey Hall, in Altrincham, Trafford.
The decision came after the Trust shared that it was reviewing the statue as it works to “tackle the often painful and challenging histories attached to our places and collections”.
In a statement, the National Trust has now told the M.E.N that it doesn't want to 'censor or deny the way colonial histories are woven into the fabric of its buildings'.
It says it is now making plans about how to address this history in a way that 'fully acknowledges the appalling histories of slavery and the slave trade'.
It comes after Black Lives Matter demonstrators in Bristol pulled down the controversial statue of a 17th century slave trader, Edward Colston, which has been in the city centre since 1895.
The life-size lead statue at Dunham Massey was devised to the National Trust by Roger Grey, 10th Earl of Stamford, according to the Trust's website.
It was created by 18th century sculptor Andrew Carpenter as part of a series “representing the continents”.
The National Trust said: "The statue has caused upset and distress because of the way it depicts a black person and because of its prominence at the front of the house.
"We don't want to censor or deny the way colonial histories are woven into the fabric of our buildings.
"For these reasons, we have decided to move it safely from its previous location while we make plans to address it in a way that fully acknowledges the appalling histories of slavery and the slave trade."
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