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'Wallace and Gromit statue could be at railway station'
Rail giant Virgin Trains has declared its interest in bringing a statue of cartoon characters Wallace and Gromit to Preston's railway station.
The firm has said it is willing to speak with those behind plans to install the bronze statue at the "gateway" of the home town of animator Nick Park.
The location for the proposed 100,000 statue is yet to be confirmed, although it is expected the train station would be a prime candidate if Virgin was top up the building fund.
City leaders have welcomed the move and said that other major firms in Preston maybe willing to inject cash into the fund.
A Virgin spokesman said: "The train station is a gateway into Preston and this is obviously an opportunity to attract more people into the city and it is a very interesting idea.
"There has been similar things happen in other towns where we have stations, for example the statue of Desperate Dan in Dundee, so it is something we would be interested in hearing more about.
"We are aware of the idea, but there has been no formal approach to Virgin about it."
Developers Grosvenor Ltd and Lend Lease, partners in the 700m Tithebarn regeneration of Preston, have already agreed to contribute 20,000 to the scheme with further funds provided by the North West Development Agency and Preston Council.
However, further private investment is required and business leaders believe the train station could do with the boost the statue could bring.
Frank McKenna, chairman of private sector group Downtown Preston in Business, said: "Public art is a fabulous way of livening up places and I think that Preston station is somewhere that could do with that.
"To have internationally-recognised figures like Wallace and Gromit there would be a big tourism lift and I think we could do worse than to get Virgin involved."
Richard Sullivan, joint chief executive of the Preston Chamber of Trade, said "other major retailers" in the city centre could be interested in helping out the statue bid.
He said: "The kudos that Wallace and Gromit can bring to the city would be beneficial to everyone."
Preston Station acts as a major hub for Virgin's flagship West Coast Mainline service, operating from the South West to Scotland.
The company runs the station on behalf of Network Rail.
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Weather for Preston
Saturday 04 February 2012
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