The Bay director Bill Johnston is hosting a meeting this evening as an update for residents on the Eric Morecambe Statue restoration.
David Morris MP is in Parliament this evening but has sent the attached letter in full, to be read out in the meeting and update residents.
Text of the Letter
Date: 22nd October 2014
Dear Residents,
I am sorry I am not able to be there with you all at the meeting today, but my job as your Member of Parliament means that I need to be in London for votes during Monday to Thursday most weeks.
I have asked Bill if he would read this letter out to you all to update you on what is happening with our Eric Statue.
First of all I was deeply saddened to hear the news that the statue had been damaged and that Eric had to be cut down from the promenade for safety reasons. I was however pleased that the Police were able to act quickly and arrest someone for this act. It is only a shame that this person was suffering from mental health issues, and I hope that they is now receiving the full care they require.
I am also pleased that Mark Cullinan and his team at Lancaster City Council have treated this tragedy with the urgent attention it requires. I believe that the statue was fully insured and there is therefore no monetary barrier for repairing the statue. I am pleased that the original sculptor Graham Ibbeson, has come to Morecambe today to assess the damage to the statue, and I believe he is present in the meeting room tonight to answer questions.
I have tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament on the campaign to get Eric back as soon as possible it reads:
That this House notes that on 11 October 2014 an individual tried to cut into and steal the Eric Morecambe statue in Morecambe; further notes that Eric had to be taken down by Lancaster City Council for safety reasons; deplores the acts of an individual who carried out this atrocious act; congratulates Lancashire Police for its swift action at detaining a suspect; further congratulates CEO Mark Cullinan and his team at Lancaster City Council for taking action to ensure the statue can be repaired by the sculptor, Graham Ibbeson, who originally designed the statue, as soon as possible, with full funding from the insurance company; and hopes that Eric can be restored and back on the promenade where he belongs by Christmas.
This is a cross party motion in Parliament as a tragedy such as this is above party politics, my motion has been signed by fellow Conservatives, DUP Members and Labour Members. It has even been signed by Glenda Jackson a Labour MP who worked with Eric when she was an actress. The EDM is gaining more signatures by the day, as lots of colleagues in Parliament have heard about Eric’s removal.
I hope that the Council are able to carry on their great work on this statue and enable Eric to be back where he belongs before Christmas.