Grimsby gallery offers 'amnesty' over Grim and Havelok statue's missing parts

The owners of an art gallery are appealing for the return of a damaged statue's stolen private parts after recovering it from storage.

Dale Wells and Darren Neave, who run the Turntable Gallery in Grimsby, are offering an "amnesty" for anyone in possession of the missing member to hand it in without fear of further consequences.

The Grim and Havelok statue stood for 33 years on a plinth outside Grimsby Academy from 1973.

At some point its penis was removed, before the whole statue disappeared in 2006.

Mr Wells said: "Rumour has it that the private parts were for many years inside a drawer at the Institute. There's loads of people who remember it being there - but I think it just eventually got lost.

"I think someone does know where it is. It's probably in someone's bathroom cabinet. We're proposing an amnesty where it could be dropped in anonymously. We're not looking to implicate anyone - it's just nice to repatriate these things.

"They wouldn't have to give a name, or they could get someone else to drop it in - or they could even post it to the gallery."

Mr Wells said the statue was taken down due to vandalism and put in storage.

After being rediscovered in parts, one of the heads is on display at the gallery, on Victoria Street in Grimsby town centre. The owners plan to restore the statue and return it to public display.

Mr Wells said the artists may consider casting a fresh penis to add to the statue.

"If no-one hands it in, we might just have to make one ourselves," he said. Ultimately, we would like to re-attach the privates, and then get the whole piece re-cast."

Havelok's head can be seen at The Fountain, Found! exhibition which runs until Thursday, December 17 at The Turntable Gallery.

The full Grim and Havelok statue is set to go on display inside the gallery in 2023.

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