Gerald the gorilla takes pride of place on canal

A LARGE gorilla statue has been erected on top of a tree alongside a canal - as a birthday present for a local boater.

- LAUREN BEAVIS

Local residents and walkers have been left amused at the surprise - which has appeared on an old ash tree stump next to Bruce Mason's boat mooring at Great Bedwyn, on the Kennet and Avon Canal in Wiltshire.

The statue was bought for Bruce as a 60th birthday present by his friends, and its name - Gerald - was chosen as part of a charity fundraiser at a local pub.

The gorilla-naming ceremony raised over £250 for a local charity called Bruce Boats, part of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, which runs accessible canal boats for disabled and elderly people.

Bruce explained how the gorilla has been placed on the stump of a large ash tree - which had to be cut down around six months ago because it had ash dieback disease.