Landmark seaside sculpture could be on the move

A landmark seaside sculpture could be relocated as part of a plan to save it.

The statue of Freddie Gilroy and the Belsen Stragglers has faced the North Sea in Scarborough for 15 years, but could soon be moved due to concerns about weathering and deterioration.

Sculptor Ray Lonsdale's work depicts a friend of the artist, a former soldier who participated in the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, sitting on a bench in his old age.

A Scarborough Town Council report said a move would be the "perfect opportunity to undertake repairs and restoration", which could extend the statue's life for a further 15 years.

The report, prepared ahead of a full town council meeting on 27 October, said North Yorkshire Council had drawn up a plan that would see the sculpture moved 200m (656ft) along the seafront to the raised part of Royal Albert Drive, which could provide more protection from wind and waves.

Under the plan, which is expected to cost £50,000, Scarborough Town Council could take ownership and management responsibility for the landmark.

The statue was originally set to stay in the North Bay for only a month in 2011.

However, it was made a permanent feature thanks to a local campaign led by Jakki Wilby, a donation made by Maureen Robinson, who purchased the sculpture and gifted it to the town, and the work of the Civic Society, which has managed and maintained the work since.

Scarborough Town Council is considering making a £10,000 contribution to the scheme and has estimated annual maintenance costs of around £30.

The report said: "As a deeply evocative piece of public art, the sculpture captures both the quiet dignity of an ordinary man and the lasting emotional weight of the horrors he witnessed, inviting visitors to reflect on the human cost of war and the enduring power of remembrance."

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