Today’s Object of the Week is a statue which isn’t in imminent danger of being pulled down.

STATUES have been the subject of much controversy and debate across the world recently – they’ve been defaced, replaced and even forcibly removed.

But surely no-one can argue against the bronze figure of Stan Laurel which stands in Bishop Auckland.

And yet, it nearly didn’t happen.

Many towns lay claim to being the home of Arthur Stanley Jefferson, who went on to become one half of Laurel and Hardy – perhaps the best-known double act the world has ever seen.

Bishop Auckland’ s claim is based on the fact the Stan lived and went to school in the town as a boy.

His father, Arthur Jefferson, ran the Eden Theatre in the town – and the statue of Stan in his trademark head-scratching pose now stands in the spot where the theatre once stood.

But town planners initially got themselves into a fine mess over whether to have a stuatue at all.

Fans of the comedian, traders and council officers negotiated over the statue for nearly three years, before a planning application was finally submitted.

The statue was designed by Tyneside artist Bob Olley and features Laurel in his most famous pose – Mr Olley designed a similar statue in North Shields.

But a decision to get Stan’s head moulded at a foundry in China almost proved fatal for the figure when it was nearly caught up in two natural disasters.

Halfway through the casting at a steel foundry near the city of Chengdu, a devastating earthquake struck the country, killing nearly 70,000 people – the epicentre being just 40 kilometres from the foundry.

It took ten days for Mr Olley to confirm that the foundry workers were unaffected and that the statue could be completed.

The finished article was then taken from the works to Shanghai where it set sail for Felixstowe – only just escaping a monstrous typhoon over the Pacific the following day.

Although delayed by several months, Stan’s statue finally arrived on British soil in July 2008.

And one month later, on Sunday, August 30, Stan was unveiled on Theatre Corner.

Amid a sea of bowler hats and the odd fez, a brass band played to the crowd that gathered to get the first look at the town’s new landmark, which was funded by an Arts Council grant and Wear Valley District Council.

Laurel and Hardy fans from far and wide were there and among them was Stan Laurel’s niece, 83-year-old Nancy Wardell, who was asked to attend the ceremony.

She said: “I think Stan would have been very proud of his statue and I’m pleased to know it will be here for many years to come.”