THE removal of Leigh's pit pony monument to mining from its market hall site has upset the school that helped to sculpt it.

Now Leigh CE Junior School, astonished that they were not told their impressive work was to be given away, wants it back.

The pony, which contains local coal dust, has been shunted from its last position at the Albion Street market entrance to Astley Green Colliery Museum.

There it will be displayed in new surroundings built to show how the animal would have lived and worked down the mine.

The life size pony was sculpted in 1989 by Marjan Wouda and pupils during her year in residence at the Henrietta Street school.

She received the commission as part of the Wigan Art in Schools Project and the work was originally expected to go on show in Lilford Park.

However for years it took pride of place in Leigh's Spinning Gate Mall until the council adopted it four years ago and transported it to a spot in the market hall.

Leigh CE head teacher, Mr Brian Fawcett, said: "The pony is an impressive piece of artwork made by the children of Leigh for the people of Leigh, and the school is saddened to learn that it has been removed. It is a great shame, a huge disappointment.

"The work was of great importance to the town and people loved seeing it especially when it was displayed in the centre of Spinning Gate.

"If it had to go from the market site, I think we should have been told and we could have found a place for it in the school grounds.

Dearest wish

"Our dearest wish would be to have it back to put on show for our children to enjoy.

"The year Marjan was here was one we look back on with great fondness."

The pony, which was cast in resin mixed with coal from Leigh, was handed over to the mining museum last week.

Chairman of the Red Rose Steam Society at the museum, Geoff Jones, said he was told at the group's regular liaison meeting with Wigan Council, that the pony was surplus to requirements because the market was being remodelled.

"They agreed to give it a good home and paid for it to be transported to the museum last week."

He said: "We are in the process of revamping our display areas and the pony will be put in a background in context with how it would have been.

"It should be completed in the next couple of weeks.

"We did not realise the history of the statue and don't want to cause any friction. If the school really wants it back we will reluctantly give it back, but we will have to be reimbursed for our transport costs. However, it is not going out of the borough, and we promise to give it a really good home in suitable surroundings."

A council spokesman said: "Four years ago the Spinning Gate Centre threw the statue out and the council took it in to give it a temporary home until a more suitable place could be found.

"We can't think of anywhere more fitting for it than a mining museum.

"It was subject to vandalism and if it wasn't for us it would have been in the bin."