A statue of Queen Victoria has been repaired after it lost an arm.

The left arm of the statue in Victoria Gardens, Brighton, was reported to have broken off on September 21 after being sliced off.

It is not clear how the damage was caused.

The limb, complete with the hand holding a scroll, was kept in safe storage and specialist stone contractors were called to carry out the tasl of putting it back.

Councillor Steve Bell, leader of the Conservative group on Brighton and Hove City Council, said the quick repair showed the council could act fast to fix and restore the city’s heritage and called for similar action for other monuments in need of repair in the city.

The Argus: The statue's left arm had been missing for around a monthThe statue's left arm had been missing for around a month (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Bell said: “This is welcome news that the Queen Victoria statue has been restored - and it shows how quickly heritage can be fixed when the will is there.

“We now need to see a similar drive from the council to restore the rest of the city’s heritage including the Victoria Fountain and Madeira Terraces.

“There has been money in the budget to fix the Victoria Fountain and restore Madeira Terraces for some time, but the council keeps pushing back and delaying the work.

“The Conservatives want to see the council treat these heritage restoration projects as a priority, for the benefit of the city, tourism and to restore civic pride.”

The Argus: The statue and the plinth it stands upon was also cleaned by contractorsThe statue and the plinth it stands upon was also cleaned by contractors (Image: Newsquest)

A spokesman for the council said they liaised with the Royal Pavilion Trust and repair work took place on Monday, October 24, with contractors raking out the joints and cleaning the statue and the plinth.

He added that the council has faced tendering difficulties for the project to refurbish the Victoria Fountain, which has caused delays.

He said: “The intention is to appoint the successful contractor in early November aiming for a start on site mid-December and a completion of the refurbishment project by the end of the March.

“However, this will be dependent on the confirmation of the costs and funding, with the timeline being dependent on weather conditions.”

The statue in Victoria Gardens depicts the Queen, who ruled from 1837 to 1901, in the act of opening parliament and was presented at the opening of the gardens in the city centre to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.