An artist who built a full size Star Wars robot droid and put it on top of Edward Colston's empty plinth in Bristol had to rescue it, after council waste workers took it down and sent it to the tip.
Sculptor Simon Thomas had fitted his 7ft tall battle droid creation with a tracking device, which meant when the artwork disappeared within hours of appearing on Friday morning, he was able to see where it had been taken to, and go and ask for it back.
And the workers at Bristol Waste's Hartcliffe Way household recycling centre in Bedminster were able to check that it was the droid Simon was looking for, so were happy to hand it back. Simon said he's now planning to auction it off in aid of the Wallace & Gromit Children's Foundation, which is part of the The Grand Appeal for Bristol's Royal Hospital for Children.
