Angela Smith is fully supporting the campaign to save the iconic statue, The Woodsman Poacher, from its removal from St Martin's Square in Basildon. The statue has been a defining feature of the town centre since 1996 but has been taken down last week to make way for a new town clock.

The statue was made by local artist Dave Chapple, who died in November aged 77. Mr Chapple contributed hugely to local art and would have been heartbroken to see the callous way in which this important part of Basildon's heritage is being treated. Further outrage has been fuelled by the poor storage of the statue where it has been dumped on its side in Wat Tyler Park.  

Angela was present at the laying of a wreath of red roses to mark the spot where the statue used to stand. Angela said: "I always thought it added to the town square to have a statue there made by a local man. I was very happy to support local people campaigning to keep it where it was actually built and they will continue to have my full support."

An online campaign has been started on the social networking site facebook with the creation of a group called: "Save The Woodsman Sculpture in Basildon". The campaign has already attracted 887 supporters. You can add your support here: Facebook