A SCULPTURE of an angel has been reunited with a musical instrument as part of a multi-million pound restoration project at City Hall.

The historic statue, which stands below the building's clock and above its main entrance, was removed for a spruce-up after workers found it posed a danger to people below.

Razwana Mahmood, of Bradford Council's building and technical services department, said it was discovered that the angel was not fixed in place properly.

"Workers touched the angel and it wobbled," she said.

It was about to fall over, so they had to remove it from its plinth and do the work on it.

"If that had toppled over it would have caused some serious injuries. It is about the size of a person. It could have hit anyone, you just don't know."

She added that the angel's trumpet - also known as a clarion - was not there when workers removed the statue.

"The trumpet was quite clearly missing," said Ms Mahmood added.

"We had no idea what had happened to it or why it was missing. You could see it did used to have one. But it has been missing and we have no idea how long for."

York-based firm William Anelay, which is behind the restoration work on the building, created a new trumpet in aluminium for the angel, before the statue was returned to City Hall.

"It is at the base of the clock tower and above the main entrance," said Ms Mahmood.

"I don't think anyone knows the significance of the angel. Lots of angels holding a trumpet have been used on historic buildings. It was quite the norm for its day and is not unique to Bradford.

"But it is nice to have it back. It is on a Grade I listed building, a heritage building, and it is our duty to pass it on to future generations."

Ms Mahmood said the work on City Hall would take about one more year to complete, and that all of its 35 statues had been looked at and had work done.

"It is a phenomenal amount of work that has needed to be done," She said.

"It is a long project. It is being restored properly and systematically."

Conservation specialists have been repointing, repairing and replacing stonework around the outside of the Gothic building, as well as carrying out work on its chimneys, roof, stone carvings and decorative balconies.

It is the biggest restoration project undertaken on the landmark in a generation.