A NEW sculpture will form the centrepiece of a memorial garden being developed in Haworth Central Park.

Money for the artwork has been granted to the Friends of Haworth Central Park through Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council’s participatory budget scheme.

The sculpture will be made by Haworth-based artist Craig Dyson.

Gillian Hill, of the friends group, said: "The sculpture will be for the use of bereaved relatives and friends.

"They can padlock small plaques onto it engraved with the deceased person's details, as they wish.

"The memorial garden is being provided by the Friends of Haworth Park in partnership with Bradford Council’s parks department in response to a need for a place where people can remember loved ones – a place that is not on the moors above Haworth.

"Guardians of our beautiful countryside have become increasingly concerned about the number of memorials appearing on Penistone Hill.

"The memorial garden in the park is being designed to be a quiet place for grieving relatives to sit for a while and remember.

"The space will be a continually evolving place, as the community see’s fit. It will not be consecrated ground and is not intended to replace a cemetery."

Mr Dyson said the sculpture is still in its very early concept stages, so it is not yet possible to reveal what it will look like.

But he added: "It's a nice project to be involved with and I'm quite humbled they've chosen to work with me."