Isle of Man Bees Gees statue to grace seafront after lockdown

Maurice, Robin and Barry Gibb were born in Douglas in the late 1940s

A statue of the Bee Gees on the seafront on the Isle of Man will begin "as soon as lockdown ends", the leader of Douglas Council has said.

The project, which is expected to cost £150,000, has been delayed by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

David Christian said the 7ft (2m) design by Andrew Edwards would be a "major focal point" in the island's capital.

The structure will be put up on Loch Promenade in the town.

Brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb were born on the Isle of Man before in the late 1940s, before the family moved to Manchester.

The trio have sold more than 110 million records worldwide

Mr Christian told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the council was "very confident" the statue would be a "big draw" for visitors to the town.

The feature piece would be shipped over when the when border restrictions banning non-residents were lifted, allowing the artist behind the project to oversee it in person, he added.

The statue had been due to be in place by April last year.