Controversial artwork hits delay

The sculpture caused controversy when it was built in December

A controversial piece of public art which was taken down because of design problems is unlikely to go back on display until next year.

The Mersey Wave was dismantled in January because its metal 'fins' were moving incorrectly during high winds.

The Liverpool Land Company says new fins may need to be built. It is likely to return to Speke in March 2005.

The £700,000 sculpture stirred up controversy because of its design and the traffic problems it caused.

The thousand-foot sculpture - which straddles the busy Speke Boulevard road - was hailed as Merseyside's answer to Gateshead's Angel of the North when it was unveiled in December 2003.

Wind tunnel

It is shaped like two unfurled fans and is intended to be viewed from a moving car.

But it was taken down less than a month later because of design flaws.

New fins will need to be tested in wind tunnels before the structure is rebuilt.

It was designed by the Czech artist Peter Fink in collaboration with urban designer Igor Marko.