Inspections as debris falls from Lord Hill statue

Lord Hill last underwent repairs in 2013

A landmark column is to be inspected after debris fell from the statue to the ground.

The public area at the bottom of the 40.5m (133ft) high Grade II listed statue of Lord Hill in Shrewsbury was cordoned off for safety reasons

The statue reopened in July after works to restore its internal staircase and last underwent repairs in 2013 when masonry previously fell from it

Shropshire Council said it was arranging an inspection of the statue to determine its condition and if repair work was needed.

The statue is higher than Nelson's Column in London

The statue was built in 1816 and is 13ft (4m) higher than Nelson's Column in London.

It is the highest free-standing Greek Doric column in England.

It was paid for by the people of Shropshire and dedicated to Gen Rowland Hill, who was born in Shropshire and served as second-in-command to the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo.

He later succeeded the duke as Commander in Chief of British forces.

The local authority said safety measures would remain in place until further notice.

Dean Carroll, cabinet member for housing and assets, said: “Lord Hill famously fought in a number of battles, but his biggest enemy is undoubtedly the weather – especially heavy rain, frost and wind.

“The historic monument is maintained on a regular basis by us, but unfortunately the recent bad weather has not been kind to the fragile statue.

“As you would expect, our priority is to ensure the safety of people passing by the column, so we’re arranging a specialist assessment of the statue to determine what action may be necessary.”