Leicester's Richard III statue reinstated at Cathedral Gardens

The statue, with a new, full-length sword, was donated to the city by the Richard III Society in 1980

A statue of King Richard III has been reinstated in Leicester as part of a £2.5m regeneration project.

The bronze figure, which has a new, full-length sword, has been restored, cleaned and polished before being installed at Cathedral Gardens.

It will stand near to where the king's remains were found under a car park in September 2012 and his intended final resting place at Leicester Cathedral.

The statue was lifted off its plinth and moved from Castle Gardens in May.

'Fitting memorial'

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

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "The arrival of the statue in Cathedral Gardens is a very poignant moment.

"In the few weeks since the statue was taken away for restoration, we have learned that Leicester will rightly be the final resting place for the remains of Richard III.

"We could not wish for a more fitting memorial to this extraordinary chapter in the city's history."

The statue now stands on a low slab of polished granite matching materials used in the gardens redevelopment.

It is expected Richard III's remains will be laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral in the spring

Last month, a High Court ruled that the king's remains would be reburied at Leicester Cathedral.

There will be a weekend of celebrations to mark the opening of Cathedral Gardens on 5 July.

The new King Richard III Visitor Centre, on Peacock Lane, will open on 26 July.

An outdoor event space with seating for up to 800 people and artwork telling the story of Richard lll's death is also part of the £2.5m Cathedral Quarter regeneration project.

The visitor centre will tell the story of the king's life, his brutal death and his rediscovery