Damaged elephant unpacks trunk for art trail return

Artist Jenny Marshall said: "It was heartbreaking to see Vince damaged, but I was determined to make him beautiful again."

An elephant sculpture that was damaged by vandals on the first day of a charity art trail has made a triumphant return.

Vince - decorated in the style of Vincent Van Gogh's masterpiece The Starry Night - was found severely damaged in Lichfield on 1 July.

He has now been restored to his former glory by St Giles Hospice, for which the project is raising money, and with additional help from art trail production company Wild in Art and artist Jenny Marshall, Vince has returned to his place on a plinth on Bore Street.

Ms Marshall said: "It was heartbreaking to see Vince damaged, but I was determined to make him beautiful again.

"The support from St Giles, Wild in Art, and the community has been incredible. I hope Vince's return will bring joy to all who see him on the trail."

The sculpture, sponsored by Davisons Law, was initially feared to be beyond repair.

The attack, and a further one in Tamworth just days later, had cast a small shadow over the launch of the March of the Elephants trail, which features 30 large elephant sculptures and more than 40 mini-elephants across Lichfield, Tamworth, and Sutton Coldfield.

However, the quick response and restoration of Vince has turned the setback into a story of community resilience, organisers say.

Vince the elephant was vandalised on the day the art trail was set to go live

Georgia Haynes, project event manager at St Giles Hospice, said: "We're overjoyed to welcome Vince back to the trail.

"His absence was felt deeply by the community, and his return is a testament to the resilience and spirit of this project.

"We're immensely grateful to Jenny Marshall for her expert artistry in being able to make Vince look dazzling again, and to everyone else who has helped us with his return."

She also thanked Tippers, a building material supplies company in Lichfield, which helped to transport Vince.

Tippers helped move the elephant back to his rightful place on Bore Street

St Giles Hospice is now making a renewed plea to the public to respect and protect all the sculptures on the trail.

Miss Haynes said: "We're asking everyone to enjoy the trail responsibly. These sculptures represent not just art, but hope and support for those in need of end-of-life care.

"Please help us keep Vince and all our elephants safe from any future damage."

News of Vince's safe return came on the same day as reports that two penguin statues featuring in an art trail in Worcester had been deliberately damaged.

The March of the Elephants trail continues until Sunday September 8.

Each elephant, will be auctioned by Richard Winterton Auctioneers at the end of the trail, with starting bids from £3,000 - equivalent to more than 100 hours of one-to-one nursing care for patients.