A metal sculpture of two large fighting stags is set to be erected at the entrance to Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has applied for the artwork on the Haslingden Road roundabout.

The sculpture, which has been built and shown at Tatton Park, Cheshire, would be the centrepiece of a landscaped mound and is 10 metres by seven metres and four metres high.

The metal structure was featured live on the BBC last month when Monty Don opened the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park leaning on the stags.

The sculpture by Chorley artist John Everiss was funded by Blackburn businessman Stuart Howarth, of CSH Transport and Forwarding Ltd, Shadsworth Business Park.

Mr Everiss said: “I came up with the idea while doing some work at Worston in the shadow of Pendle Hill.

“There is a garden there with a large tree and I thought it would look great with a stag looking up at the tree.

“I couldn’t do that, so I came up with the two stags fighting, which symbolises a struggle through adversity and the need to meet problems head on.”

Mr Everiss said he approached Nick Riley, a director of charity Groundwork Pennine Lancashire, to help secure funding.

He said: “Stuart has paid for it to be built and will fund moving it and installing it in Blackburn.”

Mr Riley said: “The important thing is it is costing Blackburn nothing.”

CSH owner Stuart said: “When we heard the idea we just liked it and wanted to get involved.

“Things like this, and the Beehive, give Blackburn an identity. As a company we have a lot to thank Blackburn for and this is our way of showing that.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive member for regeneration, Coun Maureen Bateson, said: “This roundabout is a key gateway and it is great to see a local business working to improve the area. John’s designs are brilliant and it would be good to see these sculptures welcome visitors to Blackburn.”