PEOPLE power has won the day after council chiefs restored a stag's head hunting trophy to a public building.

The historic stag's head reckoned to be the largest and last stag ever killed in Rossendale was taken down on the instructions of a former council chief executive.

Owen Williams wanted the deer, thought to be around 200 years old, removed from Bacup planning offices, based at Stubbylee Hall, as he thought it didn't fit in with the council's corporate image'.

But today Kathy Fishwick, from Rossendale Civic Trust, spoke of her delight after the stag's head was put back.

She said: "We are delighted that it is back where it belongs."

The trophy was being kept in storage in Manchester.

But, following a public outcry, council chiefs promised to take the head back to the former mansion and it is now back in its rightful place.

Ms Fishwick said: "Owen Williams when he came here decided it wasn't PC and it had to go, but he has left now and nobody quite knew where it had gone to.

"We were told it was in the Astoria but after the Telegraph got involved we discovered it actually wasn't there and had been moved without anyone knowing."

Arnold Barcroft, president of Bacup Natural History Society, is also happy to see the stag back in Bacup as he has fond memories of the stag.

He said: "My grandfather, James Bolton, was the caretaker at the hall.

"He was there around 1925 until the War in 1940. It was in my childhood that we used to go there and I was always interested in going to see the stag's head."

A spokesman for Rossendale Council said: "The stag's head has now been returned to its original position in Stubbylee Hall following building work.

"While the work was being undertaken the stag's head had been placed in storage to ensure it was not damaged."