Lord Baden-Powell statue back on display in Poole

Local authority bosses said the risk to the Baden-Powell statue was now considered "minimal"

A statue of Scout movement founder Robert Baden-Powell is back on display having been temporarily boarded up.

The decision to cover the Poole monument last month came amid claims Lord Baden Powell supported Hitler.

The local council had initially said it would remove the statue to stop it being targeted but this prompted a public outcry.

It now says the risk to the statue is considered "minimal" so the protective hoarding has been removed.

There had been fears for the monument being damaged, since Black Lives Matter protesters tore down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol.

The statue of Robert Baden-Powell on Poole Quay was boarded up last month

In a statement, Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch (BCP) Council said: "Our advice is that the risk is now minimal and we have decided to remove the protective hoarding.

"We are actively working with the Scout Association to consider how best to reflect the wider aspects of the life of Lord Baden-Powell but do intend to retain it in its place overlooking Brownsea Island to reflect the strong links with Scouting and the positive impact on the lives of children all over the world."

Baden-Powell had been criticised by campaigners who have accused him of racism, homophobia and support for Adolf Hitler - although this characterisation of him has been rejected by his biographer.

The 12-year-old statue of overlooks Poole Quay and Brownsea Island, which is considered the birthplace of Scouting and Guiding

A petition to keep the statue in place has been signed more than 40,500 times and protesters gathered at the quayside to show support for the statue before it was boarded up, with some camping overnight to ensure it was not vandalised.

BCP Council leader Vikki Slade said she and her 15-year-old daughter had been verbally abused after giving interviews about the monument's removal.

• Grylls: Scouts to learn from Baden-Powell failings

• Baden-Powell statue boarded up instead of removed

• Was Baden-Powell a supporter of Hitler?

Supporters of the statue remaining in place include Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, who congratulated protesters who "stepped forward to defend modern-day values, to defend [against] any vandalism and also - dare I say it - a rush to remove this statue without actually any debate".

While chief scout and adventurer Bear Grylls said the Scout movement must learn from the "failings" of its founder.