Former nightclub sultan statue gets makeover

The sultan sculpture has been painted to resemble St Patrick

A statue from a former nightclub in Derby has been given a makeover following a move to its new home.

The Sultan of Zanzibar statue greeted visitors from the canopy over the Zanzibar venue in London Road before its closure in 2012.

After being refurbished with gold paint, the statue spent time at The Bell & Castle and The Woodlands pubs, and has now been repainted to resemble St Patrick as it moves to O'Dwyers bar in Friar Gate.

Marc O'Dwyer, a manager at the bar, said: "It's a brilliant piece that will no doubt become part of O'Dwyers history."

The nightclub fell into disrepair before becoming the Cosmo buffet restaurant

Zanzibar opened at the turn of the millennium in the former Gaumont Palace Art Deco cinema building.

The distinctive 2m (6.5ft) bronze-effect sultan statue above the entrance came down after the nightclub closed in 2012.

Mr O'Dwyer said the sultan was then listed by Cosmo restaurant in an online charity auction about 12 years ago, when it moved into the venue.

He clubbed together with a group of 11 friends to buy him for £420.

As well as being located at two city pubs, the artwork also spent time in Mr O'Dwyer's parents' garden.

Graffiti artist Darrell Wynne, also known as Soap, repainted the statue

Derby graffiti artist Darrell Wynne, also known as Soap, said it took him more than four hours to give the sultan its new look.

"It was a bit of a shot in the dark, I just threw myself in at the deep end and managed to pull it all together," said Mr Wynne.

"I wanted to bring back the nostalgia of the statue and make it another talking point of Derby."

Mr O'Dwyer said Soap is an "incredibly talented artist who has truly captured the spirit and humour of O'Dwyers Bar".

"The detail and creativity in his work have made everyone proud, and we're beyond excited to see the statue take its rightful place hanging proudly inside the bar, overlooking our customers as they enjoy a pint," he added.