Red Lion statue gets new tail in fourth repair

A town landmark has been restored to its former glory after undergoing a fourth restoration and receiving its second new tail.

Sculptor Colin Mantripp said he is "relieved" to have again completed the restoration of the well-known red lion statue, and hopes it will not need further work for another four years.

The wooden lion, which sits above the former Red Lion Hotel on the High Street in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was previously restored in 2017, and Mantripp said regular maintenance work must now be carried out to avoid a fifth restoration effort.

He spent a week carrying out the latest repairs in the "hot sun" and said hundreds of passers-by stopped to praise his work, in a variety of different languages.

The restoration cost about £3,000 and proved to be more extensive than initially expected, as the statue had suffered weather damage on all sides.

Wet rot meant the lion required a new rear leg, carved from pine, as well as a replacement tail.

Mantripp said he is "proud of what he has done", describing the statue as an important part of the town's heritage.

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