Stolen Emin sparrow returns again

The sculpture sits atop a 13ft (4m) pole

A bronze Tracey Emin sculpture of a sparrow which was stolen from its perch near Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral has been handed in.

It is the second time in three months that the 4in (10cm) sparrow, which sits on a 13ft (4m) pole, has been stolen.

It forms part of the artwork "The Roman Standard" which the BBC commissioned for the art05 festival three years ago.

The bird was handed to police who in turn passed it over to BBC Radio Merseyside on Saturday morning.

When the sculpture previously disappeared in July an anonymous caller telephoned the radio station a few days later to tell them where it had been deposited.

The message left at the BBC said the £60,000 sculpture had been left in the grounds of The Oratory on Upper Duke Street and the bird was subsequently found in an envelope marked "FAO Tracey Emin: URGENT!"

A note inside read: "We are sorry - No harm meant. We would have returned it sooner but we were scared xxx."