YOUNG statue hunters in Dorchester have been rewarded for their monumental efforts.

The Dorchester BID (Business Improvement District) ran a summer competition for under 12s that challenged youngsters to track down four statues in the county town from photographic clues.

The four Dorchester landmarks they had to correctly identify were the Dray Horse statue in Brewery Square, Thomas Hardy at the Top o’Town roundabout, the Dorset Shepherd in Durngate Street and William Barnes in High West Street.

Sibling combinations were clearly the key to success in the competition as the three winning pairs were all related.

The first prize went to seven-year-old Adam Weldon and his sister Lucy, 6. The pair attend Springdale First School in Broadstone and Lucy said they had made a special trip to Dorchester to hunt for the statues and they were looking forward to spending their prize voucher, with all the winners receiving vouchers to spend in Frank Herring and Sons art and craft shop in the county town.

Second prize went to Leo Whitbread, 6, and sister Pippa, eight.

Upton Infant School pupil Leo said he was very pleased with their success.

The third prize winners were brothers Harry and Monty Bratcher-Howard from Dunbury Church of England Academy in Winterborne Whitechurch.

Harry, seven, said: “I thought it was quite a fun competition.”

He added that he and five-year-old Monty had also taken part in the Dorchester BID Super Sleuth Flag Competition that has been running over the summer and made five visits to Dorchester.

BID project director Phil Gordon thanked David Herring from Herring and Sons for their support of the statue competition and said that it had generated plenty of interest in the town, bringing extra footfall to businesses.

He said: “We have had so much positive feedback this year.”

Mr Herring said: “We are very grateful to be involved and very grateful we have the BID and Phil to organise these things.”

The winners of the flag competition will be drawn at the Dorchester BID annual general meeting, which is being held on Wednesday, September 24 at the Wessex Royale Hotel from 6pm.