SWINDON’S King Kong has returned to his Queens Park pedestal.

The gorilla sculpture was removed a month ago by council contractors repairing the steel giant’s arm.

Queens Park’s community council said the gorilla’s rusted arm was beginning to tear away from his body. He was taken away for major surgery on his toe, thumb, face and the soles of his feet.

Stan Pajak, chairman of the community council, said: “The amount of surgery he had would have cost thousands if it was a person getting it done.

“We are happy to have him back in his retirement home. Unlike King Kong, he has returned.”

The sculpture moved to its current home from Princes Street in 1994. Well-loved, he has been a feature in thousands of Swindon residents’ lives.

Marilyn Beale recalled that her husband Tony and brother Merv had repaired the hand in 2010: “Merv welded the thumb to the finger instead of the palm. He’s a bit of a joker, so we don’t know if that was deliberate or not.”