Richard III statue removed ahead of cathedral scheme

The work was delayed by a stronger than expected plinth which took hours to drill through

A statue of Richard III at the centre of a £2.5m regeneration project in Leicester has been moved.

The bronze figure, currently in Castle Gardens, was lifted off its plinth ahead of being restored and cleaned.

It will then be placed in the refurbished cathedral square which is due to open at the start of July.

The licence which says Richard's remains will be interred in the cathedral is currently the subject of a judicial review.

It had been expected to be moved on Monday but the strength of the reinforced concrete base meant work overran.

The statue was donated to the city by the Richard III Society in 1980.

As well as being cleaned, a new sword will be cast for the figure and the arms will be strengthened.

The work, by Lincolnshire-based Hirst Conservation, is expected to take about five weeks.

The statue will stand just yards from where the king's remains were found in September 2012.