Blackpool Gaucho statue still missing two years after raid

The Gaucho was on display at the entrance to Central Library until it was put into storage

Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of a bronze statue stolen from Blackpool Council two years ago.

The Gaucho - depicting a cowboy and his bucking bronco - was on display at the entrance to Central Library until it was put into storage.

The council kept the theft of the sculpture, which had been valued at £15,000, a secret until now.

It said it feared publicity could have led to the statue being damaged or melted down.

Despite a police investigation no clues to its whereabouts have been found.

Now the council is appealing for information amid fears the statue, known locally as Buffalo Bill due to its likeness to the showman, may have been lost forever.

Cast in bronze, the sculpture by Walter Winans is 146cm (4ft 8ins) high and weighs approximately half a tonne, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Tony Williams, leader of the Conservative group on the council, said: "This sculpture is extremely heavy so it would be difficult to remove without some lifting equipment or more than two people."

Council Leader Lynn Williams said: "It is very sad that this theft has deprived Blackpool of one of its most popular collection items."

She urged anyone with information to contact police.

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