Torquay's Agatha Christie statue won't be unveiled until 2025 after mystery pipes found

The bronze sculpture was due to unveiled at September's International Agatha Christie Festival. Credit: Torbay Council

Plans to unveil a new bronze sculpture of Dame Agatha Christie, Torquay's Queen of Crime, have been delayed.

The statue of the world-famous crime novelist and her beloved terrier Peter is set to be the centrepiece of a £4million harbourside plaza in Torquay, Devon.

The big reveal had been due to take place during September's International Agatha Christie Festival, but it has been postponed due to the discovery of unexpected pipes and cables underground.

The sculpture is now due to be unveiled at a special mini-festival next spring, Torbay Council said.

Agatha Christie was born in the seaside town of Torquay in 1890 Credit: Torbay Council

According to Torbay Council, the harbourside plaza needed to be re-designed after excavations unearthed unexpected pipes and cables.

Local councillor Swithin Long (Barton with Watcombe), leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition at the town hall described the news as "disappointing."

He said: "It's such a shame there can't be a solution to this. If it does miss the festival it's a crying shame, because it's an event that is getting more and more successful every year."

The statue has been created by local artist Elisabeth Hadley, who also made the Man And Boy statue on Brixham harbour.

It is part of a transformation of Torquay harbourside in which the Strand will become a wide pedestrian boulevard, with buses banished and traffic squeezed into a single carriageway rather than the existing double.

Torbay Council said the new harbourside plaza is expected to be completed by winter 2024. Credit: Torbay Council

In a statement the council said: “We have postponed the installation and official unveiling of the Agatha Christie statue until the spring of 2025.

"This will align with our official opening of the new-look harbourside which we are planning a programme of events for.

“The unveiling will also coincide with a mini–Agatha Christie Festival that the International Agatha Christie Festival is looking to host.

“The programme of construction works has been slightly extended due to redesign work that needed to take place after essential utilities were identified in an area that was originally marked up for underground tree pits.

“The project will be completed by late autumn/early winter of 2024.”

Credit: Guy Henderson, Local Democracy Reporting Service