A BRONZE statue is feeling more complete today -- after having its arm replaced by workmen.

Vandals hacked off the limb of statue of a little boy, who achingly reaches out for his teddy bear while holding his grandmother's hand, in the summer.

Although CCTV cameras cover the area, no footage of the wanton act was captured and nobody was brought to book. The arm itself was never found.

Yesterday, some four months later, workmen restored the £25,000 grandmother and child statue, on Blackburn Boulevard.

Working from photographs of how it used look, experts from Buckinghamshire-based Burleighfield Arts welded the new arm -- moulded from the original cast as used by artist Alan Wilson -- to the statue before using chemicals to ensure the colours matched.

And they said it would be harder than ever for vandals to repeat any acts of mutilation.

Ben Richards said: "The arm was not welded on very well before, so somebody could have wrenched it off. We have put a much deeper weld on this time.

"It takes a sculptor months to do a piece of work like this and then someone comes and destroys it in minutes. It must be so annoying."

Three new CCTV cameras have also been erected to monitor the Boulevard in a bid to prevent more acts of vandalism.

Doug Chadwick, chairman of Blackburn Civic Society, said he was delighted the statue was back to its best.

He said: "It is a very popular statue among our members, many of whom rate it as their favourite in the borough. We are very pleased it is has been restored and hope it doesn't happen again."

The bronze sculpture was one of the first to be commissioned in the town as part of Blackburn with Darwen's public art policy.

Steve Hoyle, acting director for regeneration for Blackburn with Darwen Council, added: "Since the incident the sculpture, and the Boulevard in general, are now protected by three new CCTV cameras operating in that area."