Burgh Island female pirates statue plans withdrawn

The statue would have stood tall on the rocks at beauty spot Burgh Island

Plans for a statue of two real-life female pirates at an iconic coastal spot have been withdrawn.

The monument of 18th Century pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, thought to have been lovers, was proposed for Burgh Island in south Devon.

The applicants - The Producers Live Ltd - have withdrawn their planning application following objections by Bigbury Parish Council.

Councillors said they were concerned about its "political correctness".

The sculpture by artist Amanda Cotton would have been 7.8ft (2.4m) high and would have sat on plinths measuring up to 1.6ft (50cm).

The statue had been proposed for Burgh Island in south Devon

It was claimed the statue would celebrate the pair who broke gender boundaries and, according to historians, became lovers after they pitched up on a pirate ship.

The Producers Live Ltd, the London-based marketing agency which had submitted plans to South Hams District Council, said it was intended to be "a gift to the island that is home to such rich pirate history".

In a statement they said: "We absolutely respect the decision of the council and will find an alternative home for Anne Bonny and Mary Read."

The statue had previously been unveiled at Execution Docks, London.

Amanda Cotton said Burgh Island was a "perfect home" for the statue

The people behind the statue said Burgh Island was a "fitting location on the basis of the island's heritage and its historic links to pirates and smugglers".

In their objection, Bigbury Parish Council said councillors and local people had "questioned, during the current times, the political correctness of erecting statues which commemorate pirates who were ruthless criminals and villains,".

Councillors added they did not believe the statue was relevant to the area.

They said the development would "result in harm to the unique landscape and seascape character" and the plinth would permanently damage the site, being vulnerable to weathering.