Auctioned elephant statue donated back to town

Ropey the elephant was donated to Bridport Town Council after the auction

One of a group of 30 painted elephant statues sold at auction has been donated back to a Dorset town.

The moulded fibreglass herd spent two months on display at outdoor locations in west Dorset as part of a family trail, entitled Stampede by the Sea, to raise money for Weldmar Hospicecare.

An elephant called Ropey - named after Bridport's rope-making history - was bought by a local holiday company and donated to the town's council.

The council said it would tour Ropey around the area for photo opportunities to raise more money for the hospice.

Ropey needed four men to carry her from the van and into the town council's HQ

In a statement, the town council said "huge thanks" to West Dorset Holiday Cottage for donating Ropey after paying £3,600 for her at the auction.

"We hope that her tour will raise more money for Weldmar Hospicecare and their vital services which hugely benefit our town," it said.

It asked for suggestions for any potential host locations.

The charity placed more than 50 elephants, painted by different artists, at locations in Bridport, Lyme Regis and West Bay in March.

They were auctioned off last week, raising more than £180,000.

An anonymous buyer paid the top price of £25,000 for an elephant called Sanctuary, painted with images of wildlife and plants.

Another statue, featuring images of Dorset figures ranging from author Thomas Hardy to BBC Radio Solent presenter Steve Harris, fetched £20,000.

Derbyshire firm Wild In Art has created statues for trails around the country, with most of the figures being sold for good causes, raising more than £27m.