'˜Iconic' Burnley '˜b' can be town's Angel of the North

Speaking at the unveiling of the seven-metre sculpture, Mrs Corns heaped praise on the sign and said she was ‘waiting for the selfies with it to come in.

“I think it looks fantastic,” said Mrs Corns. “It’s nice and big so you can see it from the road and it’s a fitting welcome sign to make sure you know you’re in Burnley.

“It’s been a big project since this time last year. We had a local designer, Dave Palmer, design it. We’ve been working on it for quite a long time.”

The ‘b’ has so far met with mixed reviews, with members of the public lambasting the ‘eyesore’ of a sculpture for its rusty appearance and resemblance to the number six.

But, when asked if she thinks public opinion on it will change, Mrs Corns said: “Yes, I think so. The Angel of the North - everyone hated it before it went up so I’m confident that now that people have seen it and not just a picture, they’ll love it.

“This [design] was always the lead runner because we wanted something iconic and quite simple. We are confident in this.”