Hirst's pregnant 'belly of the South' statue arrives in Ilfracombe

Damien Hirst's statue of a pregnant woman wielding a sword arrived in Ilfracombe, Devon today.

The 56ft bronze sculpture, which brings new meaning to the phrase 'pregnant in a big way', is called Verity, but has already been nicknamed the 'belly of the South' by locals.

It will be erected on the pier of the seaside town over the next week and is on loan from the artist for 20 years. Hirst also owns a restaurant in Ilfracombe.

Local opinion on the statue has been deeply divided and the decision to award planning permission follows two months of public discussion.

More than 100 residents objected to the statue, with one branding it "obscene and disgusting".

The sculpture will be placed on a bronze plinth of legal books and is envisioned as "a monumental modern allegory of Truth and Justice".

It has been compared to Antony Gormley's Angel of the North.