Portland quarry Wessex helicopter sculpture restored

Volunteers have been working on the steep slope to repoint and restore the sculpture

A stone sculpture of a military helicopter in a disused quarry is being restored by volunteers.

The life-size image of the Wessex helicopter was created in 1983 as tribute to the Fleet Air Arm, which was formerly based on Portland in Dorset.

Following rock falls at Tout Quarry it had become overgrown and indistinct on the hillside.

Storm Wallace, who is leading the group of volunteers, said the artwork "meant a lot" to local residents.

The abandoned Tout Quarry is now a sculpture park, housing a collection of stone carvings and artworks close to where navy and coastguard rescue helicopters operated from.

The sculpture of the Wessex helicopter was originally made in 1983

The image of the helicopter was created by sculptor Andy Kirkby, who set pieces of Portland stone into the hillside to create the image of the helicopter which can be seen as far away as Weymouth.

Ms Wallace said the work to restore it had involved "hours of weeding followed by a lime wash".

"It's such a wonderful sculpture, and helicopters mean a lot to the island so it would be a shame for it to go to waste," she added.

She admitted to being "surprised" by the scale of the work.

"It's such a steep slope and it's not a comfortable place to work - you can't even set a bucket down," she said.

The helicopter on the cliff top is a familiar landmark on Portland

Mr Kirkby contacted the team via social media and said it was "lovely to see" the helicopter being restored.

"I'm very flattered that my work made nearly 40 years ago is deemed worthy of preserving," he added.

It is hoped the work will be completed by the end of the month.

The Westland Wessex entered service in 1963 and was heavily used in Northern Ireland and the Falklands.

It was also well known for its maritime and land search and rescue operations, before being retired in 2002.