A BRONZE statue of a goat with a traffic cone has won a sculpture competition in Kingston by a landslide public vote and will stay in the town centre as a permanent artwork.

The goat known as 'Party Animal' came to Kingston this summer as part of the town's new sculpture trail which aimed to revive interest in the town centre and spark footfall on the high street.

Six other artists also contributed works and all were vying for a £10,000 prize to be decided by public vote.

But the quirky goat with its hat tip to Kingston's student population was the clear winner of the survey, being chosen by 51% the almost 1700 respondents.

Party Animal was made by local sculptor Alex T Davies who runs a foundry in West Molesey and had a second work 'The Kiss' also in the running to win.

Davies said: "It's been a great experience being involved in the Kingston Sculpture Trail, made all the better by the positive feedback I have had and of course winning the vote.

"It is a real honour to have a sculpture chosen to be permanently sited in Kingston, a town that I have visited many times growing up in Surrey, having worked there as a teenager, to now having my own business and workshop so close."

Party Animal will be installed in Kingston town centre in early 2022 and can currently be found in the ancient marketplace.

Other highlights of the trail which ran from August to October include the elegant and moon-inspired 'Time and Tide' sculpture by Kingston Bridge and the kinetic, movable 'Mountain' that could be found in memorial gardens.

The sculpture trail was organised through a partnership of Canbury Community Trust, Kingston Council, Kingston First and Kingston University.

Leading the selection committee was David Mach RA who created the similarly offbeat 'Out of Order' telephone box display on Kingston's Old London Road.

David said: "A great choice, and good to have a local artist.

"This is Kingston's version of the boar statue near the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

"The nose of "Porcellino" is golden from the number of tourists rubbing it for luck; the cone on the back of Alex's goat is going to be just as shiny.

"It's going to be a very popular piece."

Kirsten Henly, Chief Executive of Kingston First said: "Announcing the winner of the first-ever Kingston Sculpture Trail is a proud moment for all the partners who helped bring this exciting, collaborative project to life.

"The trail brought a wealth of public art to Kingston and created new experiences for visitors and residents alike, building on our shared vision for the town centre's streets and spaces.

"The incredible legacy of the trail is this brilliant piece of permanent public artwork which will be enjoyed for many years to come.

"Congratulations to the artist and thank you to everyone who visited the trail and voted for their favourite sculpture."