A STATUE of Thomas Hardy's sister has been installed in Dorchester to mark the release of a new Netflix series.

Statues of the sisters of high-profile figures who have been overshadowed by their more famous brothers have been erected around the country to mark the release of Enola Jones.

A statue of Mary Hardy, the sister of Thomas Hardy and the headmistress of a local school, has been placed in Dorchester opposite that of her brother, the author of books including Tess Of The d’Urbervilles, Far From The Madding Crowd and Jude The Obscure.

A sculpture of Frances Dickens has been placed opposite the statue of author Charles Dickens in Portsmouth, while a statue of Maria Anna Mozart now stands opposite that of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Bath.

The temporary statues are inspired by the release of the Netflix film Enola Holmes, starring Millie Bobby Brown as the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes.

A statue of Enola has been placed opposite that of the fictional detective in London’s Baker Street, to accompany those of the real-life sisters of the 18th and 19th centuries, whose achievements were overshadowed by their more famous brothers.

Meanwhile, a statue of Princess Helena Victoria, sister of King Edward VII and founding member of the British Red Cross and president of the Royal British Nurses Association, who campaigned for better working conditions, rights and pay, has been placed in Birmingham.

Enola Holmes launched on Netflix on Wednesday.