The suggested wording for a new plaque on Edward Colston statue plinth in Bristol

Recommendations on 'what next' for after the Colston statue toppling have been made after 14,000 people responded to a survey

A new plaque explaining why the Edward Colston statue in Bristol city centre was torn down could be put on the statue's former plinth.

A report by the 'We Are Bristol' History Commission has recommended a plaque be added to existing plinth while the statue itself enters the permanent collection of Bristol City Council's Museums service.

It also says the city should "think creatively" about how the plinth is used - with the possibility for temporary artworks and activity to be put on or around it.

The report has been released after a public engagement survey was undertaken by the Bristol History Commission, Bristol City Council Consultation and Engagement, and the M Shed museum in the summer of last year.

Almost 14,000 people shared their ideas and views on what should happen next after the statue of the slave trader was torn down and thrown into Bristol Harbour.

A statue of Edward Colston was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Bristol in June 2020.

Most of the survey's respondents - 74 per cent - said they want to see the statue itself put on display in a Bristol museum. When looking at purely the Bristol residents who responded to the survey, that rose to 80 per cent.

The history commission's report recommends the plinth remains in place, alongside its original plaques, and a new sign be installed which "briefly and factually" explains when and why the statue was originally put up and later taken down.

The report says 65 per cent of all respondents supported adding a plaque in the vicinity of the plinth to "reflect the events of June 7, 2020" while that rose to 71 per cent when looking at just Bristol residents who responded.

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What wording is recommended for a new plaque at the Edward Colston plinth?

The report suggests the following wording:

"On 13 November 1895, a statue of Edward Colston (1636 - 1721) was unveiled here celebrating him as a city benefactor. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, the celebration of Colston was increasingly challenged given his prominent role in the enslavement of African people.

"On 7 June 2020, the statue was pulled down during Black Lives Matter protests and rolled into the harbour. Following consultation with the city in 2021, the statue entered the collections of Bristol City Council’s museums."