$3m Spike Statue Could Go Kerplunk

Tallest public sculpture in BritainIt cost more than £1.5 million ($3 million) and is the tallest public sculpture in Britain. But now The B of the Bang in Manchester could be torn down amid worries about its safety.

Just months after it was unveiled in 2005, some of the giant spikes from the 184ft structure began to fall 80ft to the ground, triggering fears that a pedestrian or motorist could be speared.

As problems continued, a slip road bordering it was closed, then part of a pavement next to the nearby City of Manchester Stadium was cordoned off.

There was further panic when the sculpture - which was funded by the North West Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund - began to sway in high winds.

Since then, 170 weights have been fitted to the spikes, but its structural problems have not been solved and engineers claim its future is in doubt.

Link & Image: This Is London
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