A DATE has been set for the return to Bolton of the infamous fake statue that fooled the art world.

The Amarna Princess will go on display at Bolton Museum on April 15 as part of an extensive and successful Fakes and Forgeries exhibition.

The exhibition will be free and will open to the public the following day.

But people will be able to enjoy a sneak preview on April 15 when an expert from the Metropolitan Police’s art and antiques unit will give a talk about the world of art forgery The Amarna Princess is the work of forger Shaun Greenhalgh, who created the fake ancient Egyptian statue in his garden shed in Bromley Cross.

Greenhalgh was jailed for four years in 2007 and was released from prison last year. Bolton Museum paid £440,000 for the statue after experts at the British Museum and Christie’s verified it as genuine and it was displayed in the town for two years.

The Bolton News revealed last year that the town was to be the first in the UK to host the display, following a hugely successful three-month run at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

Greenhalgh’s work and criminal history are central to the exhibition, which also has a mock-up of his shed workshop.

Its arrival in Bolton follows months of negotiations between Bolton Council and the Metropolitan Police, which now owns the exhibits after they were seized as part of the criminal investigation.

Other work by Greenhalgh will be on display, including the Risley Park Lanx, the Barbara Hepworth Goose and a number of Thomas Moran paintings.

Det Con Ian Lawson, from the Metropolitan Police’s art and antiques unit, who will give the forgery talk in the museum’s lecture theatre, said: “Educating the public on how to avoid becoming a victim of art crime is a vitally important part of crime prevention.

“The Fakes and Forgeries exhibition was incredibly well received in London, so we are pleased to be able to bring it, with the Greenhalgh exhibits, back to Bolton.”

Cllr Elaine Sherrington, the council’s executive member for adult and community services, added: “We believe an informative talk about the reasoning behind the exhibition will reiterate the point that forgery is a very serious crime.

“It can affect people from all walks of life—not just art collectors and major organisations.”

The talk runs from 7pm to 8pm on Friday, April 15.

Tickets are £5 and include a preview of the exhibition from 6pm.

Booking is essential as places are limited. Contact The Albert Halls box office on 01204 334400.