Land's End unveils statue of Paddington Bear

Land's End's Paddington statue is one of 23 being unveiled - including a bench at John O'Groats

A new statue of Paddington Bear has been installed at a Cornwall landmark, as part of a nationwide trail to celebrate the children's character.

The sculpture, which was unveiled on Monday at Land's End, is one of 23 being placed on benches across the UK and Northern Ireland as part of the Paddington Visits trail.

The statue of the Peruvian bear, known for his love of marmalade sandwiches, was welcomed by the owners of Land's End.

General manager Trevor Broome said Paddington was a "national treasure" adding "everybody knows him, everybody loves him, and I think he is pretty much an icon of the UK".

Happy memories

Mr Broome said visitors could "have their photo taken with Paddington and maybe share a marmalade sandwich" with him for at least 12 months.

The famous bear, familiar in his blue duffle coat and red hat, first appeared in 1958 in the books by Michael Bond, before becoming the star of a TV show and a series of films.

Siobhan Thurgood, who was at the opening, said Paddington was "special" for anyone of her generation.

She said Paddington's "special scene" with the Queen for her platinum jubilee celebrations "just brought him back to life again for everybody".

"For me it just brings back really happy memories of childhood and getting my first ever Paddington Bear cuddly toy, it's lovely," Mrs Thurgood said.