TWO children simply 'Waiting For Me Dad' to arrive on the River Tees after a hard day's work have been immortalised in bronze by Middlesbrough-born artist Mackenzie Thorpe.

The sculpture was unveiled yesterday in the shadows of the Tees Transporter Bridge to emulate the daily contribution the people of Middlesbrough make.

The sculpture has been created by the artist as part of his 30th year celebrations, inspired by the original painting of the same name.

He said: "Men worked in the shipbuilding or the steelworks or ICI or the docks and for me the Transporter is a proud symbol of everything that is good about our town.

“In my own way I wanted to acknowledge that time, when it was normal for droves of men cross the river daily to work long hard shifts and families waited for their return, the men did it to put food on the table, and the sculpture depicts the children waiting for their return.

“The piece is an acknowledgement of that time, of the industry and the men and their families who helped shape our town."