Fairy statue moved to avoid Roman graves

The tower will now be erected at the north east of Clarence Gardens

Plans to install a fairy statue in York have been revised after it emerged that it was to be built on top of a Roman cemetery.

The 11ft (3.45m) bronze tower - featuring a flying Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, iguanas, a Chihuahua, tortoises, a camel and several fairies - was set to be placed south west of the central pavilion in Clarence Gardens, off Wigginton Road.

But it will now be erected at the north east of the gardens to avoid the burial ground.

The cemetery was discovered in the 1830s when 12 graves, Roman pottery and a stone coffin were exposed.

The statue will feature fairies, animals and representations of well-known residents

City of York Council planning officers approved the plans after they were first lodged in April.

Revised documents were submitted in June and approved on 25 July, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The statue has divided local opinion, with one resident saying he failed to see its relevance for the community, believing it to be an "eyesore", while another resident said it was a “wonderful addition with a fun theme”.

According to planning documents, the fairies and human figures on the tower would represent well-known locals such as Colin Whiski, a member of the City of York pipe band, and Tracy Ostle, founder of the Foss Fairy Trail.

Development of the statue will start in the next three years.

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