Hednesford park Woodpecker sculpture has not been stolen

People were left querying the disappearance of a woodpecker sculpture in Hednesford Park after a dog walker spotted its base was there but there was no sculpture.

Rumours began flying round social media site Facebook that it had been smashed off and stolen to be sold off.

However it has now been confirmed to the Express & Star that the 'delicate' sculpture came away from its base due to the wood of the base not being thick enough and has not been stolen.

A spokeswoman for Cannock Chase District Council said: "For this particular sculpture the base of the wood wasn’t as thick as we would have liked due to the species of the tree. As a consequence of this the woodpecker was delicate and has come away from the tree stump.

"The artist Robot Cossey will try to re-attach the woodpecker in the next few days."

Mr Cossey carved the woodpecker for the park earlier this year after previous sculptures, including a rabbit, were so well received.

The wooden sculptures are made from trees in the park's tree avenue that needed to be felled.

Councillor Christine Mitchell, the leader of culture and sport at the council, previously said: "These sculptures are a beautiful addition to the park and have attracted a lot of public interest.

“They have encouraged people who would not have necessarily visited the park to pop along and see the art pieces on show."