A TRIBUTE to a much-loved piece of Kidderminster history has been unveiled in the Swan Centre.

Two replica swan statues now stand proudly at the shopping centre in homage to the original statues that disappeared in the 1990s.

It is believed the play statues, which were located outside of the old Waitrose store, were sent away for refurbishment in the mid-90s, but when the company doing the work closed down, the swans were never returned.

The figures hold fond memories for several generations of Kidderminster families and were an integral part of the centre.

Earlier this year, a group was set up called Find the Kiddy Swans to finally solve the mystery of their whereabouts, while bosses at the Swan Centre were looking at having the statues replicated before the Covid-19 pandemic put their plans on hold.

Now, new versions of the much-loved swans have been installed following a special unveiling on Saturday December 11.

They were officially unveiled by centre manager Rosalyn Darby along with Sean Murphy and Lisa Jones from the Find the Kiddy Swans group.

Rosalyn said: "The new owners of the centre wanted to thank the public for their past, present and future custom and hope that the new swans meet with their approval.

"The swans are not the same as the old ones but look just as beautiful. They will be a permanent fixture with opportunities for people to sit and remember their childhood and take a photograph."

She added that people have responded positively to the new swans as it is a slice of Kidderminster nostalgia.

Roslayn added: "People love them, they bring back lovely memories. When I had my daughter I was working in a shop in the centre and she used to love playing on the swans."