The designer of an award-winning sculpture has spoken out over a decision to move it from Keighley’s market entrance.

Angela Mitchell, who was 17 at the time, designed the “Fire and Wheels” sculpture to go outside Keighley’s new market in 1971.

She told the Keighley News this week she thought it was sad that it would no longer be displayed in the town centre.

The market entrance at Low Street is currently being refurbished and Bradford Council’s market services has given the sculpture to Our Lady of Victories Primary School after the head teacher, John Devlin, spotted its potential.

Mrs Mitchell, who went by her maiden name of Pettit when she won the competition held by the Corporation Works Committee, said she had thought deeply about what Keighley represented when creating the design.

She said: “The wheels were meant to represent the mechanical power of Keighley and the flames, the industry around at the time.

“I think it is a bit sad that they have moved it really. It was built for that purpose, for Keighley, but it is nice that someone wants to put it in a school area.

“It is the second structure of its kind — I think the statue of Rombald was the first. It is nice to keep things that say something about that area. Sometimes people make changes without really thinking about their consequences and tradition.”

Mrs Mitchell said she had fond memories of the sculpture because it helped to secure her a scholarship to Florence through Greenhead Grammar School, where she studied at the time. She said: “I won £25 for coming first in the competition and that was a lot of money at that time, which meant I could have some money on the trip.”

Mrs Mitchell furthered her creative skills at Leeds Polytechnic, where she met her husband, David, and the pair have run DMD Design and Marketing, based in Elland, for the past 30 years. They live near Huddersfield.