‘Racist’ golliwog-like pub sign removed by council but locals claim it will return at later date

Campaigners say caricature of black man should be taken down and put in museum

A sign saying 'Save Me' was hung from the controversial head in Derbyshire on Monday evening before it was taken down (PA)

A “racist” pub sign that has been compared to a golliwog has been removed following pressure from campaigners to take it down, but local residents in the area have claimed it will return at a later date.

Thousands of people signed a petition demanding the removal of a caricature of a black man above an 18th century pub sign in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, arguing it should be taken down and put in a museum.

Derbyshire Dales District Council appeared to agree with those demands on Monday, when officials said the sign would be removed with “immediate effect”, but locals have now said the sign was taken down to protect it from vandalism.

“The head will be restored while on the ground and returned to its position at a later date ... local councillors were also there too,” Mark Redfern told the PA news agency.

The petition against the head, which had drawn inspiration from anti-racism protesters in Bristol, had amassed more than 28,000 signatures by Monday.

On Sunday, protesters in Bristol toppled a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and threw it into the city’s harbour.

One campaigner in Derbyshire, who chose not to be named, said the Grade II-listed pub sign resembled a golliwog, a 19th-century rag doll that is widely considered to be racist, and claimed people in the area were “ashamed of it”.

Matthew Holt, a 19-year-old international relations student from Ashbourne, who signed the petition, said the sign appeared to be obviously racist to him.

“I think it’s important we address our history; we can’t change it but this shouldn’t be displayed in the public eye,” Mr Holt said.

“It should be in a museum where we can learn about it with a description to contextualise it.”

The local council agreed “urgent discussion and consultation” was required on the sign, which they said was “a public safety concern right now”.

“The sign was gifted to the district council a number of years ago and is currently protected by a Grade II structure listing,” a spokesperson for the council added.

“Legally, only Heritage England or the Secretary of State can remove this listing, which means we need to take on board the views of our own councillors and local people before taking forward any representations. This will happen soon.”

A rival petition to keep the monument in place, arguing it is part of the area’s history, has garnered more than 2,700 signatures.

Additional reporting by PA