Sunderland Vaux brewery horse sculpture plan approved

The sculpture has been made by Ray Lonsdale

A sculpture celebrating the once-common sight of a brewery's dray horses will be installed in Sunderland city centre.

The life-sized statue, called Gan Canny, commemorates the history of the Vaux Brewery and will be installed in Keel Square.

City councillors unanimously approved the work by Ray Lonsdale, who created the Tommy statue at Seaham commemorating World War One.

Vaux brewery operated in Sunderland for 162 years before it closed in 1999.

The sculpture will feature two dray horses, that were used by the brewery and frequently seen in the city centre.

The dray horses of Vaux were once a common sight on the streets of Sunderland (seen here in 1954)

It is expected to be in position by early December, with two further pieces yet to be revealed but expected to be installed separately at different sites across the Riverside Sunderland development.

Councillors on Sunderland City Council Planning and Highways (East) Committee praised the sculpture as a "very good fit" for the location, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Karen Noble said: "I think it's an absolutely stunning piece of artwork, it's a credit to Sunderland, and I think it captures the nostalgia and history of the Vaux site."

Mr Lonsdale, whose family are from Sunderland, still has a strong connection to the city and said it had been a privilege to create the artwork.

He added: "I am just so flattered though, to have been given the chance to create something that celebrates the past in a city that is focused now on the future."