Mother and Child statue removed from Blackburn's Lord Square

The Mother and Child monument in Lord Square was created by Welsh sculptor Robert Thomas in 1974.

Workers responsible for The Mall’s refurbishment removed the statue from its concrete base.

The Mother and Child Statue had stood in the same spot in Lord Square, which Mr Thomas helped choose, for more than 30 years.

And his wife Mary, 76, would have a key part in the repositioning of the bronze sculpture in Blackburn town centre although at the time an exact location had still to be chosen.

The Mall’s £66million revamp involved refurbishing the existing centre and demolishing Lord Square and TJ Hughes to create space for new stores including two new retailers and 300 extra car parking spaces.

Robert Thomas, who died in 1999, was commissioned by developers John Laing to create the Mother and Child statue at a cost of £2,000.

The statue was being given as a gift to Blackburn with Darwen Council by The Mall.