ROYAL Wootton Bassett is still waiting to hear what will become of its much loved poppy sculpture.

The huge marble artwork, installed as a memorial to the 355 fallen service personnel who were repatriated through the town, collapsed during the night on October 18.

At first people feared it was vandalism but CCTV footage showed the poppy dropping down on its own. It is now in storage.

Town clerk Johnathan Bourne said: “It has been placed in the hands of the insurers and they are dealing with it.”

He said once the poppy was discovered collapsed it was fenced off for safety reasons. “Then because it was clearly unsafe we arranged for it to be dismantled and taken away to be stored.”

The sculpture was designed by local artist Mark Humphrey to mark the town’s role in giving fallen service people a dignified welcome home.

Called Forever, it was carved from Italian marble and weighed 4.5 tonnes. At night it was illuminated in red.

After it was installed at the end of Marlowe Way in September 2015 it quickly became a focal point for service families who had lost loved ones. On June 21, 2016, the day Princess Anne arrived to dedicate the monument, a little posy of flowers and a Father’s Day card was discovered nestling at the foot.

It was from the son of Colour Sergeant Philip Newman, killed in Afghanistan in 2007 and repatriated through RAF Lyneham.

The structural failure caused dismay when the news was broke. “It was beautiful when lit up a real tribute to servicemen and a unique tribute from a town that hosted and supported the service men and women who died and passed through,” said one Adver commenter.

Mrs Bourne said it was not yet known what would happen to the artwork, but he added: “The council is definitely committed to doing something with it.”