A STATUE of music hall star Vesta Tilley has been returned to Cornmarket eight months after a police car crashed into it.

The sculpture, in Cornmarket, was damaged at about midnight on Saturday, November 11 when a marked patrol car was responding to an incident in the area hit the sculpture.

It was return to the site late last month, and is located next to Arthur the Giraffe in Banana Pyjamas, one of the Worcester Stands Tall giraffes.

Following the smash it was taken away for repair.

The statue was initially unveiled in September 2016 as part of the county council's revamp of the Cornmarket area.

Vesta Tilley was chosen by the public to along with, William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, King Charles and the Reverend Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, otherwise known as Woodbine Willie.

Cabinet Member with responsibility for economy and infrastructure, councillor Ken Pollock said: "It is fantastic to see this statue repaired and returned to Cornmarket. We hope that with a Worcester Stands Tall giraffe being placed nearby it will bring even more people to Cornmarket to welcome Vesta back."

Recently, pensioner Carole Roberts, aged 69, spoke of her disgust to see the Woodbine Willie statue used as a place to lock up bicycles on numerous occasions.

Matilda Alice Powles also known as Vesta Tilley was a music hall star born in Worcester in 1864 and was once one of the world's best paid female entertainers.

For more information on the Cornmarket Improvement Scheme visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cornmarket