A FAMILIAR figure in Middlesbrough town centre has returned.

The Gardener, a life-sized fibre glass statue by Graham Ibbeson, was a popular feature before he lost his perch on a large raised planter when Linthorpe Road pedestrian shopping area was redesigned in the 1990s.

Now, he has found himself a new home in a wildlife garden at Ayresome Junior School.

The garden has been created by staff from Middlesbrough Council's open spaces team and young people on the Government's New Deal scheme.

Open Spaces manager Eddie Jones said: "The Gardener has been in storage at Stewart Park for some time and we were often asked what became of him. We're very pleased that we have found a home where a new generation of local people can enjoy his company."

Eddie's team is on the lookout for a new location for another Graham Ibbeson statue called The Shopper, which was in the town centre