Agatha Christie statue unveiled in Wallingford

The statue was unveiled by her grandson Mathew Prichard.

A life-sized bronze statue of crime novelist Dame Agatha Christie has been unveiled in the town where she lived.

The writer spent more than 40 years residing on the outskirts of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, but kept a low profile during her life there.

Sculptor Ben Twiston-Davies created the figure, seated on a bench overlooking the Kinecroft, as if drawing inspiration for her next novel.

The statue was unveiled by the writer's grandson Mathew Prichard.

The life-size bronze figure is seated on a bench overlooking the Kinecroft

Despite her worldwide fame for novels Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, many did not know she was living locally.

She died in her Winterbrook House home on the banks of the River Thames in 1976, and was buried in the churchyard of St. Mary's in Cholsey.

The statue and bench has been positioned against the backdrop of Wallingford Museum, which houses a permanent exhibition about the author.

Wallingford Town Council commissioned the statue to commemorate her life.

Mr Twiston-Davies also designed the Agatha Christie statue The Book in London.

"I imagine that she's sitting in the park... and she's having a moment of inspiration," he said.

Sculptor Ben Twiston-Davies spent more than a year designing and creating the statue