Taxi crashed into the Bolton sculpture

Victoria Wood’s statue has been toppled after a taxi crashed into it.

The two-metre high sculpture was ripped off its base by the collision in her home town of Bury last night.

Dramatic pictures show a silver people carrier on top of the base of the statue, which was installed in a park opposite Bury Library, a few metres from he road.

Victoria Wood statue toppled in car crash https://t.co/k0OGtG5QmT

— BBC Manchester (@BBCRadioManc) June 4, 2024

The statue of legendary comedian Victoria Wood in Bury town centre has been toppled by a car overnight @BuryTimes https://t.co/dBi7Nogy50

— Isabel Oldman (@isabel_oldman) June 4, 2024

Bury Council say the statue will now have to be removed, and they will talk to the comedian’s family about what happens to it now.

Greater Manchester Police said the driver of the vehicle was taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be serious. The taxi was reportedly registered in Wolverhampton.

Designed by sculptor Graham Ibbeson, who also sculpted a memorial to Eric Morecambe,  the bronze was paid for by fans though crowdfunding and unveiled in May 2019.

A spokesman for Bury Council said: ‘Victoria Wood was a national treasure, and we are proud to call her one of our own.

‘The statue… has been a source of great pleasure to many visitors to Bury, and it’s a huge disappointment that this incident has happened and the statue will have to be removed.

‘We are currently making arrangements for the statue to be removed and kept in a safe place while we assess the extent of the damage to it. We will be in close contact with Victoria’s family in deciding what to do next.’

Wood died in April 2016 aged 62 from cancer.

Published: 4 Jun 2024