Work continues on Leicester Market demolition

Most of the old market has now been torn down

Demolition work on Leicester Market is nearing completion.

Leicester City Council says the first phase of work, which started last month, is "on track to be completed shortly", with most of the old structure torn down.

The 1990s roof of the city's fruit and vegetable market has been removed, and the old wooden stalls destroyed.

The council says the demolition is part of a project to transform the space into one "fit for the 21st Century".

The market itself is still operating, with stalls having moved temporarily to Green Dragon Square on the other side of the Corn Exchange.

The statue of the Duke of Rutland is being moved to its original location

A Grade II-listed sculpture of the Duke of Rutland - made in Leicester and originally funded by public subscription - was moved from outside the Corn Exchange on Wednesday.

The council has said it will be taken away for a "good clean" before being relocated to where it was originally installed in Cheapside in the 1800s.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, in place of the old wooden structures, 84 "smart new stalls" will be installed, which Leicester City Council said would create "an attractive environment for the fruit and vegetable traders and other small businesses".

The council said once demolition is complete it will carry out underground investigations to determine if there are any "obstructions" to the work going forward, but said it still expected the main work to take about 10 months.

The first phase of the demolition work began last month