THE proud lions of Heaton Hall are once again in place.

And the guardians have yet another job - that of symbols for the Heaton Park regeneration plan.

The lead sculptures were winched back into place (pictured) on Tuesday, October 14, following a five-month refurbishment in Basingstoke.

Coun Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council which owns the popular park, said: "The lions are the official symbol of Heaton Park's regeneration programme.

"The restoration of Heaton Hall is one of the key components of the regeneration plan for Heaton Park.

"The hall is a focal point for visitors, so the return of the lions to the front of the hall is a symbol of our continuing commitment to the development of the park."

The cast lead lions were made in 1772 for Sir Thomas Egerton, who then owned Heaton Hall, by sculptor John Cheere. But they have been constantly abused over the years from the weather and vandalism.

They were first restored in 1989 but vandalism was still a problem.

The hollow lions have been strengthened inside to all extremities with stainless steel before being filled with a mixture of concrete and flint at a cost of £28,000.

The regeneration of the park, fuelled by National Lottery money, has included the installation of closed-circuit television which, it is hoped, will finally stop the vandalism.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.