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Sunday, Jul 05, 2026

Jimmy Savile mannequin replaces toppled statue of slave trader Edward Colston

A Jimmy Savile mannequin has appeared in place of a statue of slave owner Edward Colston after it was toppled by anti-racism protesters in Bristol in June.
A figure dressed like the prolific sexual predator has been placed on the plinth in Castle Park, Bristol Live reports.

Meanwhile, a sign has reportedly been put underneath that reads: ‘None of them stopped me, and your licence paid for it. The BBC turning a blind eye since 1922.’

Notorious paedophile Savile died in October 2011 after a long career on BBC shows including Top of the Pops and Jim’ll Fix It.

After his death, hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse were made against him, covering a period of 50 years.

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt apologised to victims for Savile’s decades of ‘sickening abuse’ on behalf of the government and the NHS in 2014.

The bronze statue of Edward Colston was torn down and thrown into the harbour during a protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on June 7.

It was lifted out of the water by the council and is set to be displayed in a museum.

Police have arrested one person in connection with the incident and are searching for others.

Fierce debate over what should replace the statue has been ongoing for the past month.

One of the most popular suggestions is a statue of Paul Stephenson OBE, who is a long-time campaigner for civil rights for the British African-Caribbean community in Bristol.
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