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Massive statue of 'Roy
the Redeemer' erected on the White Cliffs

A 108ft statue of Roy Hodgson is set to be put back up at
the White Cliffs of Dover this afternoon after it was taken down
because of high winds.

The stunt by bookies Paddy Power is to promote the new England
manager as he takes his team into this month's European Football
Championships.

The amazing statue is a reproduction of the iconic Christ the
Redeemer statue, which overlooks Rio de Janeiro.

It was first constructed yesterday morning near the cliffs
at St Margaret's Bay but with Kent experiencing gusts of up to
60mph, the company had to take it down. Weather permitting it
should go back up later.

According to the bookmakers, the artwork is intended to
give manager Roy 'divine intervention'.

The daring installation replaces the face of Christ with a new
‘saviour’, England Manager Roy Hodgson.

But an angry St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe parish councillor has
slammed the statue as being a “monstrosity and a blot on the
landscape in an area of outstanding natural beauty”.



Brenda Paul, chair of the parish council, started receiving phone
calls and e-mails from local residents about the statue when it was
being erected at the start of the week.



She said: “It’s terribly tasteless to erect something like this at
the same time as we were celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee, including
the lighting of the (South Foreland) Lighthouse tower and holding
street parties, while at the other end of the village you had this
monstrosity going up which is a blot on the landscape in an area of
outstanding natural beauty.



“It’s purely a gimmick by Paddy Power to increase their
profits and I think it’s appalling. The parish council
weren’t consulted about it beforehand and, although they
weren’t obliged to do so, I would have thought that out of courtesy
Paddy Power would have notified us.



“I have been up there this morning and the area, including the
footpaths, is a complete mess because of all the machinery and
cranes they have used to erect the thing. When I spoke to the site
manager he assured me it would all be cleared up by yesterday."

The structure took a team of engineers two months to create and
one week to install.

It is said to be visible from the coast of France - 16
miles away - and is aimed at unsettling ‘Les Bleus’ ahead of
England’s opening game on Monday.

The dimensions of the structure replicate those of its famous
Brazilian inspiration – standing 100ft tall on an 8ft tall rostrum
with an arm span of 96ft.

The eight-ton sculpture is kept in place by two 40-ton
cranes positioned behind the statue.

The inspiration for Roy the Redeemer was sparked as part of the
Paddy Power’s ‘We Hear You’ initiative, which acts on comments and
suggestions received from customers through social media.

The statue is even more significant - as Roy has close
connections to the county.

He spent time at Gravesend and Northfleet, Tonbridge Angels,
Ashford Town and Maidstone United.