Stolen ECHO newspaper and plaque on Eleanor Rigby statue to be restored

Parts of the iconic statue were stolen in October

A much-loved statue in the city centre will soon be restored after being vandalised.

There was dismay after key parts of the Eleanor Rigby statue were stolen in October .

The statue in Stanley Street consists of a bronze figure on a stone bench reading a newspaper with a shopping bag on her right and the bench is a popular spot for photographs to be taken.

However earlier this year the bronze copy of the  ECHO , along with a sparrow perched on top of it, went missing.

And the inscribed plaque behind the statue, which dedicates the work to the city, was also missing.

The tribute was designed and made by Tommy Steele and stands as a tribute to the hit Beatles song of the same name, which tells the story of a lonely woman, Eleanor Rigby.

The statue was erected in 1982 as a tribute to Fab Four and dedicated to "all the lonely people," after the classic 1966 Beatles song.

The plaque behind the statue has been stolen previously and  this would not be the first time the iconic landmark has been vandalised.

A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said: "Three elements of the statue were removed in October – the book, bird and plaque - and we can confirm that we have all three elements ready to go back on the statue.

" We are currently getting quotes from manufacturers to make a bracket to re-attach the book and the bird that sit on the bench next to the figure.

"Once it has been made the repairs will be made and the plaque will also be reattached on the wall.

We hope that this can be done as soon as possible."