Concerns have been raised about the condition of a famous Liverpool monument.
The Victoria Monument is one of the city's most recognisable sculptures. The neo-Baroque monument has stood on the former site of Liverpool Castle in 1906. It now stands close to the city's courts and the popular Castle Street area.
At the centre of the monument is a statue of Queen Victoria, who is surrounded by a host of other bronze sculptures. The structure is Grade II listed.
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Liverpool mum Denise Hope is a fan of the city's historical monuments so was shocked when she saw the condition of the Victoria Monument and the surrounding area this weekend.
The mum-of-one was out in the city centre and went to sit in the area as she has always been a fan of the sculptures. Speaking about what she found, she said: "I was out in town on Saturday for some food and I just went to the monument for a sit down. I hadn't been in a while. It is somewhere I used to go a lot - I would take my daughter there when I was showing her the history of the city.
"I couldn't believe the state of it. There was litter everywhere, dead pigeons and dog poo and the monument was covered in graffiti."
The support worker, who now lives in Aintree said: "This is a really busy and important area in the city centre. Derby Square is actually where some of the walking tours of the city begin. I cannot understand why it would be left like this.
"It feels like it has been left to rot. It's a real shame because we get lots of tourism in the city and this is in a busy place near Castle Street.
"It's great getting new buildings in the city but I think we should look after what we already have."
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said the monument itself was cleaned in April and is subject to regular cleansing work.
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