Restoration work on a Canterbury Cathedral gate has been completed - but a statue of Jesus is missing from the iconic building.

Refurbished features on the much-photographed Christ Church entrance have this week been unveiled following a five-year, £1 million revamp.

Scaffolding and sheeting has long covered the site as expert craftsmen revived the original features of the Grade I-listed Tudor Gothic gate - which was created in about 1520.

But eagle-eyed visitors to the city will have noticed something amiss - the bronze Welcoming Christ statue has disappeared from the façade, as it is still under restoration.

Cathedral bosses say it is not due to be re-installed until the spring of next year, when the final stage of work to the entrance will also be completed.

"Work on Christ Church Gate will continue into spring 2023," a spokesman said.

"This will include the reinstallation of the Welcoming Christ statue, and further restoration of the lower faces of the gate."

The statue was taken down from the gate in January 2020.

Between 1642 and 1643, in the English Civil War, Puritan iconoclasts caused significant damage in their "cleansing" of the cathedral.

They destroyed the statue of Christ, which was in the gate, and it was not replaced until 1990 with a bronze sculpture.

The task facing the Cathedral’s own artisans has been to restore the intricate carvings of mythical beasts, flora, fauna, angels and heraldic shields - including the arms of Archbishop Thomas Becket and Cardinal Wolsey.

But one of the most striking features revealed on Tuesday - when the scaffolding was finally removed - was the Gate’s vibrant colour scheme.

The craftsmen based it on detailed archival research into heraldry and the Gate’s earlier decorative schemes - known as polychromy.

The masons and conservators have employed the latest technology with traditional conservation techniques to clean and conserve both the surviving original fabric and the work of the previous, early 20th century restoration.

Director of The Canterbury Journey project, Mark Hosea, said: "All of us are excited to see the scaffold being removed from Christ Church Gate for the first time in more than five years.

"This reveals the amazing restoration work that has been carried out by our skilled craftspeople and the external professional team."

Visitors can enjoy free entry to the Cathedral and its grounds tomorrow afternoon to celebrate the façade being revealed.

There will be musical performances by the Cathedral’s Choral Scholars, free hire of a new media guide and the new Gregory Gargoyle Christmas Trail, with the chance to see the Christmas decorations and nativity crib.