New rules on Stoke public art after Wedgwood statue demolition

The Josiah Wedgwood sculpture, carved from red bricks, was first unveiled in 1986

New rules to protect public art are to be introduced in Stoke-on-Trent, after a statue of a local manufacturing magnate was knocked down by mistake.

Council contractors removed the Josiah Wedgwood sculpture during a road-widening project in January.

The statue in Festival Park, which had been in place since 2009, was reduced to a pile of bricks in February.

The city council has now identified 72 public art installations that will get extra protection under the new rules.

Statues, war memorials, murals, fountains and architectural features on public land across the city will all be covering by the planning protection rules.

In future, assessments must be carried out before work can be undertaken at any of the sites.

The work will also need the approval of a council director, before it goes ahead.

Labour took over control of the authority from the Conservatives in May and the new leader Jane Ashworth, said the aim of the "Public Art Protocol" was to make sure an incident like the one at the start of the year does not happen again.

The list of the protected sites may be expanded after public consultation later this month.