Victoria Wood’s brother speaks out as statue to be REMOVED after crash

The brother of comedy legend Victoria Wood says his sister ‘always was tough’ after her statue was knocked down by a car. Chris Foote-Wood played a key role in securing the lasting tribute to the comedy legend in her hometown of Bury.

But the statue was ploughed by a taxi late last night (June 4) and has spent today on its side and surrounded by barriers at Church Gardens, off Silver Street. Bury Council says the structure will now ‘have to be removed’ before it can be assessed for damage.

Chris, who began work planning the statue for his sister and sponsored it, told the Manchester Evening News: “A terrible shock to be told your sister has been knocked down by a taxi, but Victoria always was tough and her bronze statue even more so. She’ll be back good as new very soon”

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The statue was unveiled in May 2019 by Chris alongside Victoria’s close friend and comic actor, Ted Robbins, at a location Victoria used to walk past on her way to Bury Grammar School for Girls as a child. It had remained at Church Gardens ever since.

Dramatic images from last night showed the moments after a silver people carrier had been driven into the statue. Its front wheels were seen resting on top of the statue, which was knocked onto the ground, while the car’s front end was severely damaged.

Bury Council has confirmed the car was a taxi licensed in Wolverhampton. Greater Manchester Police said it was called out to the scene shortly after 10pm yesterday, before a driver went to hospital with injuries not thought to be serious.

No arrests have been made. The local authority says it is in discussions with Victoria’s family and will consult with them over what to do with the statue once it has been checked for damage.

A Bury Council spokesman said: “Victoria Wood was a national treasure, and we are proud to call her one of our own. The statue was crowd-funded by Victoria’s brother Chris and from her estate, and maintained by the council.

“It was made by the acclaimed sculptor Graham Ibbeson and unveiled in 2019. It has been a source of great pleasure to many visitors to Bury, and it’s a huge disappointment that this incident has happened and the statue will have to be removed. We are currently making arrangements for the statue to be removed and kept in a safe place while we assess the extent of the damage to it.

“We will be in close contact with Victoria’s family in deciding what to do next. We understand that the police are investigating the incident, and that the driver went to hospital with non-serious injuries. The vehicle is a taxi, licensed in Wolverhampton.”

Victoria was born in Prestwich and grew up in a house on Tottington Road, Bury. She soared to stardom in the 1980s with series including Wood and Walters, Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV and Acorn Antiques.

Her stand-up shows featured hilarious musical performances and monologues, while she won acclaim for her sitcom Dinnerladies and her roles in serious drama in more recent years. She died aged 62 in April 2016, following a battle with cancer.