How the mighty fall: giant figure comes down to earth with a bang

Published on Sunday 13 February 2011 18:10

A SIX-TONNE, 13ft steel statue by one of Scotland's leading sculptors has been flattened after it was hit by a car.

Man in Motion, a giant figure of a striding man by Glasgow artist Andy Scott, had stood proudly astride Muirside roundabout in the village of Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, since 2008.

But it was left lying mangled after it was felled by the collision late on Saturday night.

Police said the 21-year-old driver was in custody and would be appearing in Alva Sheriff Court this morning.

Last night Mr Scott, who designed the giant Kelpie Heads public sculpture under construction in Falkirk, said: "I am very disappointed to hear the sculpture has been damaged.

"My first thought was I hope nobody has been hurt - but I am very surprised to hear this has happened. It is not something that has ever happened before.

"I've just been putting up a beautiful statue of a gypsy cobb in Bexley in East London.

"This news has come as a real downer at the end of a very successful day. Tomorrow I will contact Clackmannanshire Council, who commissioned the work, and get the full story."

He said it was hard to assess the extent of the damage to the steel structure, but that he hoped the sculpture would be repairable.

"As far as I can tell the response I have had has been very favourable, so I hope it can be repaired," he said. "I put a lot of energy, time and effort, and pour a lot of myself, into these jobs."

A spokesman for Central Scotland Police said: "There was a collision on Saturday night at about 9:10 which resulted in serious damage to the steel structure.

"As a result the 21-year-old driver of the vehicle will appear at Alva Sheriff Court on Monday."

Madge Walker, manager of the Abercromby Inn in Tullibody, said the sculpture had become a popular local landmark.

"I think it is sad," she said. "It was always quite nice to come up the road and see it standing there. It brightened the area up a bit."

Brian Smith, a college lecturer who lives near the sculpture, said: "Whoever crashed into it has made a fair mess. It looks like they've driven into one of the statue's legs and brought down abut five or six tonnes of metal.

"I don't know if it quite stopped them, but it certainly slowed them down."

He said the sculpture had its critics when it was first put in place, but that many would be sad to see it damaged. "I have heard from a few people that they never liked it, although I doubt they would prefer it looking like this."

Mr Scott is one of Britain's best-known public artists. His Heavy Horse stands at the side of the M8 and he has five monumental sculptures in Clackmannanshire.He also created the Arria statue in Cumbernauld.

The sculptor is now working on the Kelpie Heads, which will form the centrepiece of the Falkirk Helix project and which will be the biggest horse sculpture in the world.