City of London statues with links to slave trade to remain

Sir John Cass dealt with slave agents in Africa and the Caribbean

Statues of two politicians that were due to be removed over their links to the transatlantic slave trade will be kept on display, it has been announced.

In January, the City of London Corporation said the figures of William Beckford and Sir John Cass would be moved from the Guildhall in London.

But the City's statues working group has decided to keep them on display alongside plaques to provide context.

The group's chair said they would be used to educate people about slavery.

At the start of the year the corporation announced the two statues would be shifted from the Guildhall as part of a move towards an "inclusive and diverse City".

However, the City's statues working group has now decided to keep the figures on display following recommendations to carry out further research, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

William Beckford accrued wealth from plantations in Jamaica and held African slaves

Rather than remove the statues, plaques will be placed next to them to provide historical context.

William Beckford was a two-time Lord Mayor of London in the late 1700s, who accrued wealth from plantations in Jamaica and held African slaves.

Sir John Cass was a 17th and 18th Century MP and philanthropist. He was also a major figure in the Royal African Company, which was heavily involved in the Atlantic slave economy.

Doug Barrow, chair of the statues working group, said: "We cannot be blind to history and the City's role in the transatlantic slave trade, which is why we feel that contextualisation and education are most important."

He added that the figures would be used to educate people, and QR codes could be added to provide further context about the men.

The two statues are at the Guildhall in Moorgate

A report by the chair of the statues working group also found it would cost more than £100,000 to remove both statues.

The paper added that the corporation remained "united in its commitment to equality, inclusivity and diversity and to tackling slavery and racism in all its forms".