THE fifth and final sculpture set to dominate Blackburn's £2.5million Church Street has been delayed -- again.

A granite part of the last and largest statue, Lumen, has cracked, which means it won't be in place until April at the earliest -- a year after all five sculptures were supposed to have been lowered into place.

The first statue arrived last Autumn, although two more had to be sent back when they arrived in Church Street but could not be fitted because fibre optic cables were too short.

The fourth was finally fitted last month and councillors had hoped to see the largest of the five, which stands five metres high, in the next few weeks.

But problems have struck the redevelopment of Church Street again.

Regeneration boss Coun Andy Kay said: "We've been told that the granite part has cracked which means a new one has to be created and shaped. That obviously presents a new delay but we hope it will arrive in April.

"The ones that are already in place have been well received, and I have had good comments even from the people who I would never would have dreamed would have noticed." When work on the pedestrianisation of Church Street was completed last spring, council bosses threw up metal pyramids over what would become the statues' bases.

Coun Kay said: "At least people are seeing that the pyramids weren't the sculptures, which had confused some people."

The five sculptures have been funded using European and Government money and run down the centre of Church Street.

They were designed to be the jewel in the crown of Blackburn's public art policy, which has seen several unusual sculptures appear in the town in recent years.

Originally, all five sculptures should have been in place by April.

The finish date was then put back to September when artist Ian Randall, who also designed work on the Irwell Trail, suffered a back injury.

The council unveiled plans for the five sculptures last February and commissioned the Yorkshire artist to create works to highlight Blackburn's connection with the cotton trade. Each sculpture represents a different stage in the development of the cotton plant. They are made from bronze, stainless steel, fibre optics and stone and three will have water features.