A CONTROVERSIAL statue in Westhoughton could end up in a school playground.

The £5,000 statue of a woman with a baby was taken down from Ditchfield Gardens in the town centre last Friday after howls of protest - even though it had been up less than two months.

Some people complained that the sculpture of a woman carrying a baby on her shoulder was ugly and inappropriate.

Bolton Council is asking three schools involved in designing the sculpture whether they want it.

Westhoughton Parochial School head Peter Naylor said he did not know where the 7ft-high statue could be accommodated in the school.

He said: "We would consider it, but whether we would take it on board, I don't know. I don't know quite where we could put it. It may become an attraction for vandals."

Washacre Primary School said it couldn't comment because it hadn't yet been asked by the council.

Westhoughton High School head teacher Ken Vann said he would be happy to have the statue.

He said: "We could make it the basis for a sculpture park."

Mr Vann said sixth formers were writing in support of the statue.

He added: "Pupils are very upset that the council didn't have any consultation before they removed it. They just listened to a few complaints and didn't ask everybody."

Supporters of the statue have been ringing the BEN.

Elizabeth Carr, aged 43, of King Street, said the council should have left it up.

She said: "The statue was all right. Once people had got used to it, they would have accepted it."

She said the statue reminded her of walking through Ditchfield Gardens to visit her grandmother when she was a child.

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